Validation of Debt: Key Concepts and Compliance Guidelines

Understanding Validation of Debt

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Question

Validation of debt says:

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A. B. C. D.

A

Sure, I'd be happy to provide a detailed explanation of the answer to this question.

The term "CRCM" typically refers to the Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager certification, which is a professional certification offered by the American Bankers Association for individuals who work in regulatory compliance management in the financial services industry. However, for the purposes of this question, it seems likely that "CRCM" is being used as an abbreviation for something else.

The question itself is focused on the concept of debt validation, which is a process that occurs when a consumer is contacted by a debt collector regarding a debt they allegedly owe. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), a federal law that governs the collection of consumer debts, consumers have certain rights when it comes to debt collection.

Answer choice A states that if a consumer is contacted by a debt collector, the debt collector must send the consumer a written validation notice within five days of the initial communication. The notice must contain specific information about the debt, such as the amount owed, the name of the creditor, and information about the consumer's right to dispute the debt. However, there are exceptions to this requirement. If the initial communication contains all of the required information, a separate validation notice may not be necessary. Additionally, if the consumer pays the debt within the five-day period, the debt collector does not have to send a validation notice.

Answer choice B relates to the concept of debt verification, which is the process by which a debt collector must confirm the accuracy of the debt they are attempting to collect. If a consumer disputes a debt in writing within 60 days of receiving the validation notice, the debt collector must stop all collection activity until the debt is verified. This means that they cannot continue to contact the consumer or take any other action to collect the debt until they have confirmed that it is accurate.

Answer choice C is similar to choice B, but with a shorter timeframe. If a consumer disputes a debt in writing within 15 days of receiving the validation notice, the debt collector must stop all collection activity until the debt is verified. This is a stricter standard than the 60-day timeframe in choice B.

Answer choice D relates to the concept of payment allocation, which is the process by which a debt collector must apply payments made by a consumer to multiple debts. Under the FDCPA, if a consumer owes multiple debts and makes a payment, the debt collector must apply the payment in accordance with the consumer's direction. This means that if the consumer specifies which debt the payment should be applied to, the debt collector must follow those instructions. However, if the consumer does not specify, the debt collector has some discretion in how to apply the payment.

So, to sum up, the correct answer to this question is A: if a consumer is contacted by a debt collector, the debt collector must send the consumer a written validation notice within five days of the initial communication unless information is contained in the initial communication or unless the consumer pays the debt. This is a requirement under the FDCPA that is designed to ensure that consumers have accurate information about the debts they are being asked to pay.