The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken emergency action to shut down a deceptive debt relief operation accused of targeting older Americans and veterans with false promises and fraudulent tactics. The scheme, run by a network of seven companies and three individuals under the name Accelerated Debt Settlement, allegedly misled consumers into believing their unsecured debts could be reduced by up to 75%—or more.
In 2025, structured debt settlement is emerging as a viable recovery strategy for lenders and servicers. Unlike past cycles, it now offers a framework for operational control, regulatory alignment, and scalable engagement.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today published a list of orders of administrative enforcement actions taken against banks and individuals in June 2025. There are no administrative hearings scheduled for August 2025.
We are releasing today a very interesting podcast show which is also breaking news. Before I read an article by Professor Charlotte Haendler of Southern Methodist University and Professor Rawley Z. Heimer of Arizona State University titled “The Hidden Costs of Financial Services: Consumer Complaints and Financial Restitution,” I never knew that the CFPB authorized outside third-parties access to non-public data collected about consumer complaints that it received so that those third-parties could conduct studies. Professors Haendler and Heimer used that data to determine the demographics of complainants who received the most restitution versus the demographics of those who received no or little restitution.
On July 14, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) secured a court order aimed at halting allegedly deceptive practices against seven companies and three individuals operating the “Accelerated Debt” program. The defendants allegedly contacted consumers through telemarketing calls or in response to calls resulting from their mail and online ads and made false claims about their ability to substantially reduce consumer debts and misleading consumers about fees.