Consumer Rights and Regulation

Cease communication means a consumer directs a collector to stop most further collection contact.

Credit-rights terms that explain the main federal rules and borrower protections tied to reporting, disputes, and collection behavior.

A consumer statement is a short note a consumer may add to a credit file to explain a disputed or unusual situation.

Debt validation is the process of requiring a collector to provide enough information for the consumer to understand what debt is being claimed.

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act is the main federal law prohibiting certain kinds of discrimination in consumer credit decisions.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the main federal law governing consumer credit-reporting accuracy, access, and dispute rights.

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is the main federal law governing how many third-party debt collectors may behave.

A furnisher is a company or organization that supplies consumer credit information to a credit bureau.

Permissible purpose is a legally valid reason for a company or institution to access a consumer credit report.

A validation notice is the collector's written notice identifying the debt and explaining the consumer's basic validation-related rights.