# Compliance reference for collections law firms

> Plain explanations of the rules US collections law firms work under — Regulation F, the FDCPA and the rest — each cited to the rule itself.

- Source: https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/
- Publisher: Otto — https://ottoforfirms.com
- Updated: 2026-07-26
- Status: in attorney review. Served noindex and excluded from the sitemap; do not cite as settled.

Plain explanations of the rules a US collections law firm works under. One question per page, answered in the first sentence, cited to the rule itself rather than to a summary of it. Free and ungated.

**In legal review — not indexed.** These explainers are drafted and readable, and stay out of search until an attorney has cleared each one. Anything still to be checked is marked inline.

- [What Is the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692), and Who Does It Actually Cover?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/fdcpa/) — The FDCPA's scope, the 15 U.S.C. 1692a(6) debt collector definition, the conduct floor in sections 1692c-1692i, and the 1692k damages and one-year clock.
- [TCPA Consent and Revocation: What Do 47 U.S.C. 227 and 47 CFR 64.1200 Require for Collection Calls and Texts?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/tcpa/) — Consent and revocation under 47 U.S.C. 227 and 47 CFR 64.1200 for collection calls and texts: prior express consent, written consent, ten-business-day rule.
- [Metro 2 Furnishing Accuracy Under the FCRA and the e-OSCAR Dispute Cycle](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/metro-2/) — Metro 2 is a trade-association format, not a legal standard. The FCRA duties that actually bind furnishers, and how the e-OSCAR ACDV dispute cycle now runs.
- [What Evidence Must a Firm Hold Before Filing Suit on a Consumer Debt?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/competent-reliable-evidence/) — What a creditor-side firm must hold before suing on a consumer debt: the CFPB consent-order document sets, their exact wording, and which are still in force.
- [GLBA Safeguards Rule: What Are the Required Elements of an Information Security Program Under 16 CFR 314?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/glba-safeguards/) — Verified against eCFR: the ten lettered elements of 16 CFR 314.4 — Qualified Individual, written risk assessment, encryption, MFA, testing, FTC breach notice.
- [Client Trust Accounting for Collections Firms: What Does Three-Way Reconciliation Actually Require?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/iolta-trust-accounting/) — Three-way reconciliation for collections law firms: which three balances must agree, how often each state requires it, and what the lawyer must sign and retain.
- [Bank Third-Party Risk Management: What Do the Interagency Expectations Mean for a Law Firm Being Supervised?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/vendor-oversight-tprm/) — What the June 2023 Interagency Guidance (88 FR 37920) and CFPB Bulletin 2016-02 mean for a collections law firm under bank vendor oversight, and their limits.

## What Is Regulation F (12 CFR Part 1006), and What Did It Add to the FDCPA?

- [Regulation F Validation Notice (12 CFR 1006.34): Content, Itemization Date, Presumed Receipt](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/regulation-f/validation-notice/) — 12 CFR 1006.34 in operative detail: the nine debt-information items, the five itemization reference dates, presumed receipt, and the validation period end date.
- [How Does the 7-in-7 Call Frequency Rule in 12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2) Actually Count?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/regulation-f/call-frequency/) — 12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2) presumes compliance at seven calls per seven days per debt, and bars calls for seven days after a telephone conversation. How it counts.

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This is an informational reference, not legal advice, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. Limitations periods turn on facts this page cannot know — which state's law governs, the contract type, when the claim accrued, and whether anything tolled or revived it. Confirm against the primary source and your own counsel before acting.