UNDERSTANDING FDCPA
No matter what good intentions you may have, sometimes something goes wrong. I know it happened to me. I know I was spending a lot of money but I also knew I was making enough money to cover my expenses. I was excited about having my first baby. I walked through the stores and aahed and oohed over everything I saw. I ended up buying so many cute things I was sure I would need for the new addition to my family. What I didn’t count on was having complications with my pregnancy. I had to take a leave from my job much earlier than I had first planned. My employer was very kind but this meant I had no income for a few months. My health insurance covered a lot of our medical expenses but because of the problems I had, it left me with a big chunk of debt I had to pay out of my own pocket. My deductibles were high and my co-payments to the specialist were many. Before I could recover and return to work, I was receiving harassment letters from my creditors. With a new baby I didn’t have time or the energy to work on this problem without help. I needed someone to work with my creditors for me. I inquired as to where to turn and found an agency that is very familiar with the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collections Practices Act). This Act regulates how collection agencies go about collecting from debtors. If you are not knowledgeable about these laws some collection agencies will try whatever means they feel like, whether legal or not, to collect from you. Knowing your rights is very important.