Citibank credit card customers who live in South Carolina might be happy to hear that they could be eligible for some compensation following an agreement between the company and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over the financial institution's illegal credit card practices. The agency revealed that the financial services firm will pay $70 million in penalty fines and $700 million to consumers.
Citibank to pay $770 million in fines and restitution
Medical debt and credit problems in South Carolina
Many people struggle with medical debt in South Carolina as well as across the country. These types of obligations are currently hurting the credit of around 30 million people in the United States, including those who have health insurance.
Unlawful debt collection practices
South Carolina residents who are attempting to resolve their overwhelming financial obligations are not always legally obligated to deal with creditor harassment. Many of the practices that debt collectors engage in, such as calling at inconvenient times of the day and discussing a person's debt with third parties, are unlawful. The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act was set up to protect debtors from this type of harassment.
Notification requirements for collectors
There is no federal law requiring certain bill collectors to send a debtor notice of a debt that is owed. Many South Carolina consumers find out about debts only when they check credit reports, which may be months or years after the debt was originally incurred. There is a practice known as "parking debt" whereby a collector makes no collection efforts and waits to collect the debt until the consumer needs to obtain credit such as a mortgage.
