Paying off collections debt isn't always the clear win it looks like. Here's how to decide what path to take.

WalletHub collected data from the end of 2025 and ranked the states with the most and least debt collection accounts.

No one wants a bill to be sent to collections, but life happens. The good news is that it isn't the end of the world. Here's what you need to know about collections and their impact on your ...

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

In April 2025, Freedom Debt Relief reviewed data from tens of thousands of people actively looking for help with their debt. The numbers might be surprising. About one in four has at least one account ...

Pay-for-delete promises to erase collection debt from your credit report, but the results of this strategy can vary.

Jerry Brown is a personal finance writer based in Baton Rouge, La. He's been writing about personal finance for three years. Financial products he enjoys covering include credit cards, personal loans, ...

When you fall behind on a bill, you might get charged a late fee and your late payments could be recorded in your credit reports. If a bill goes unpaid for long enough, your creditor may send or sell ...

Collection Debt by the Numbers: The National Picture In April 2025, about one in four people looking for debt relief had at least one account in collections. The average collection balance is $3,027, ...