Guides

Guides for every stage of the road

File a CFPB complaint that gets a real answer

Companies must respond to CFPB complaints. What to write, what to attach (your log), and what to expect back — as a companion to your written dispute, never a substitute for it.

The tax hiding inside a 'discount': written-off balances and the 1099-C

When $600 or more of a balance is written off, the IRS generally treats it as income to you (IRC §6050P). The exception for people who owe more than they own (insolvency), the form, and the math to run before you accept any offer.

The first-letter checklist: the first 48 hours

The envelope is open. Before you call anyone or pay anything: photograph, date-stamp, log, and run your dates. The calm sequence, in order.

The 30-day validation window

What the notice must contain, what your dispute must do, and what never to say on the phone.

The revival trap

How one small payment restarts an old debt's clock — and the states where it legally cannot.

How many times can a collector call?

The 7-in-7 presumption (12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2)) and the log that turns calls into evidence.

Sued by a collector?

Your state's answer deadline, what an Answer is, and the honest routing to who files one.

What they can actually take

Paycheck bans and caps, bank-account shields, and the federal-benefits rule — by state.

Time-barred debt, explained

Too old to sue on is not too old to be tricked about. The two traps at the end of the clock.

When the bank itself calls

Why the FDCPA may not apply, and the state statutes that fill the gap.

Included in the $39 DebtDecoded Kit

  • The letter builder — answer a few questions and it writes your letters: the one that makes them prove the debt is yours, and the one that orders them to stop calling. Wording follows the federal rulebook (Regulation F). Ready to print and mail
  • The old-debt trap worksheet — checks your dates against your state's restart rule before you pay or sign anything, so one small payment can't quietly restart the clock on an old debt (the trap lawyers call 'revival')
  • The call log — counts their calls against the legal line: more than 7 calls in 7 days about one debt counts as harassment (12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2))
  • The 'what they can't take' pack — what a court judgment can and cannot take in your state, including the rule that shields two months of federal benefits sitting in your bank account (31 CFR Part 212)
  • The offer-math worksheet — what a 'deal' really costs once fees and the tax on the written-off part are counted (that tax shows up on Form 1099-C)
  • The complaint walkthrough and the honest directory — who to call instead when a free or better route fits you

One payment. Every stage of the road, and the deadline tables for all 50 states — every number with its law cited. No account, no subscription — and the free checker above stays free whether you buy or not.

Get the Kit — $39

DebtDecoded is education, not a law firm. If the checker points you to a free route — legal aid, a lawyer who fights debt collectors, a nonprofit counselor — take it. We would rather lose the sale than sell you the wrong tool.