Before paying a debt collector for the balance on an old judgment, it pays to understand who you're dealing with.

U.S. household debt hit a record $18.8 trillion in 2025, according to the New York Fed, fueld by increases in mortgage, credit card and auto loan balances. Credit card debt alone reached a record ...

Debt collectors have to provide a debt validation letter within five days of first contacting you. Red flags that a debt ...

In April 2025, Freedom Debt Relief reviewed data from tens of thousands of people actively looking for help with their debt. The numbers might be surprising. About one in four has at least one account ...

Could your debt be reduced or forgiven? Take our financial relief quiz. Find my match Could your debt be reduced or forgiven? Take our financial relief quiz. If you receive a debt collection notice, ...

The date a debt collector gives you may not tell the full story about how old your collection debt actually is.

Your workplace may be easier for a creditor to locate than you think, but there are limits on what happens next.

Debt collectors are required to validate that a debt is legally owed, so what are the repercussions if they refuse?

Debt is getting harder to manage, and more Americans are turning to credit counseling and debt management for help. But increasingly, the customer seeking that help is younger.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. True Tamplin is on a mission to bring financial literacy into schools. Bankruptcy is a legal process that allows individuals or ...

Debt settlement has major risks but can be a last-ditch option for those buried in debt. U.S. News provides advice on which debt relief company is best if you decide to go that route.