Disputing collections debt can protect your credit, but only if you know when it actually makes sense to do so.

You may have a legal obligation to repay old debts, but there are also strict limits on debt collectors' tactics.

(NewsNation) — American households owe a record $18.4 trillion, and federal data shows complaints about aggressive debt collection have surged over the past year. The Federal Trade Commission logged ...

You may have options if a debt settlement no longer feels right, but the timing, paperwork and payments matter.

With federal oversight in retreat, deep-pocketed collection companies are aggressively pursuing down-and-out consumers who are struggling with record levels of credit card debt. Meanwhile, consumer ...