# The 

# Consumer’s Perspective

on 

# Debt and 

# Debt Collection

A survey by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to learn

about Americans’ experiences with debt and debt collection



# Thank you for your help

with this important

national survey! Y OUR PARTIC IPATION IS CRITICAL

This survey will provide reliable information

about consume rs’ experiences that is crucial for

creating effective policies.

Y OUR PARTICIPATION IS VOLUNTARY

, AND

YOUR ANSWERS ARE ANO NYMOUS

You may skip any questions that you are unable

or unwilling to answer. Your response s will

never be linked to your name or address.Privacy Act Statement: 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(3) This collection of information is authorized by Pub. L. No. 111

- 203, Title X,

Sections 1013 and 1022, codified at 12 U.S.C. §§ 5493 and 5512. The information you provide in response to this survey issued by

the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB ”) will be used to understand consumers’ experiences with debt and debt

collection.

Administrative data were used to select people to receive this survey. Your responses will be combined with administrative data in a

way that you remain anonymous. Routin e uses which may be made of the collected information can be found in the CFPB’s System of

Records Notice, CFPB.022

– Market and Consumer Research Records , 77 FR 67802. The CFPB may make an anonymous version of

the survey data publicly available in accordance with applicable federal law.

Participation in this study is voluntary and there are no penalties for refusing to answer any question. However, your partic ipation is

extremely importan t to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the statistical results.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or

sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of i nformation unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The

OMB control number for this collection is 3170

- XXXX. It expires on MM/DD/YYYY. The time required to complete this

information collection is estimated to average approximately 20 minutes per re sponse, including the time for reviewing any

instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the co llection

of information. The obligation to respond to this collection of information i s voluntary. Comments regarding this collection of

information, including the estimated response time, suggestions for improving the usefulness of the information, or suggestio ns for

reducing the burden to respond to this collection should be submitted to Bureau at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

(Attention: PRA Office), 1700 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20552, or by email to PRA@cfpb.gov.

About th e CFPB

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is a F ederal agency that was

created in 2010 to make markets for consumer financial products and services

like mortgages, credit cards, and auto loans work by making sure that these

markets are fair, transparent, and competitive and that the costs and risks are

clear

.

About this study

This survey will provide information about consumers’ experiences with debt

and with debt collection that is crucial to creating effective rules to ensure that

consumers are treated fairly and respectfully while creditors can effectively

seek to collect money they are owed.

About the survey sample

Survey recipients were selected at random from across the United States in a

way that ensures that, taken together, the data give a full picture of consumers’

experiences with debt and debt collection. Peoples’ experiences and views can

vary widely, so it is important that the study reflects those of all types of

Americans.



# That is why your participation is critical.

Thank you for completing this survey.

For more information about this survey,

please call 1

- 800

- 555

- 0000 or visit

www.consumerfinance.gov/debtcollectionsurvey.htm

For more information about the CFPB

, visit

www.consumerfinance.govDraft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

1

Most Americans have debt at one time or another. This survey is about your views and experiences with

debt and the process of paying debts. For the purposes of this survey:

Debts include an y money you owe, for example, bank loan s , student loans, financing from a

store or dealer, and past

- due bills (such as credit card, medical

, or utility bills). For this survey,

consider only personal debts, and do not include business loans or debts owed to a family

member

.

A debt collector is any person or company trying to collect on a debt

— even a debt you do not

be lieve you owe. The debt collector could be, for example, the collections department of the

original creditor (the person or company you got the loan from or originally owed the debt to),

an attorney, a collection firm , or others trying to get you to pay a debt

.

1. People borrow money for many reasons, including to pay their expenses when their income

drops temporarily . Over the past year, would you say tha t you or your family spent more than

your income, about the same as your income, or less than your income?

 Spen t more than income

 Spent about the same as income

 Spent less than income

2. No one can say for sure, but what do you think will happen to interest rates for borrowing

money during the next 12 months

— will they go up, stay the same, or go down?

 G o up

 Stay the same

 Go down

 Don’t know

3. Have you applied for any type of credit or loan in the last five years?

 Yes

 No

4. (If yes to 3 ) In the past five years, has a lender turned down your application for credit

or not given you as much credit as you applied for?

 Yes, turned down

 Yes, not as much credit

 No

5. (If yes to 4 ) Were you later able to obtain the full amount you requested by

reapplying to the same institution or by applying elsewhere?

 Yes

 No

 Did not reapp ly

6. At any time in the past five years , did you think of applying for credit or a loan from a

particular lender but changed your mind because you thought you might be turned down?

 Yes

 NoDraft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

2

7. Which of the following types of debts do you currently have?

Yes No

A credit card balance remaining after your last payment  

Mortgage, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit (HELOC)  

Auto loan  

Student loan  

Other consumer or personal loan or line of credit (other than a mortgage, auto, or

student loan)  

Auto title loan  

Payday loan  

Legal judgment or legal expenses (child support, attorneys’ fees, etc.)  

Past

- due taxes  

Past

- due medical bill  

Past

- due phone, cable, internet

, or other telecommunications bill  

Past

- due utility bill (gas, electric, etc.)  

Other type of debt: ________________________________________________  

8. C onsumers may not always be aware of the laws about debts and of their options , for example,

to dispute a debt . How familiar would you say you are about each of the following ?

Very

familiar Somewhat

familiar Not at all

familiar

How to get a copy of your credit report   

When a consumer can dispute a charge on a credit card   

When a consumer can dispute a debt with a debt collector   

When a consumer can request a debt collector stop contacting the

consumer   

When a debt collector can sue a consumer   

When a co

- signer on a loan is legally responsible for repaying it   

9. In the past two years, since [ September 2012], have you been contacted (whether in person, by

phone, mail or some other means) by a debt collector trying to recover a debt from you?

Include instances when you were contacted about debts that you believed you did not owe (for

example, so meone else’s debt, debt for the wrong amount, debt you had already paid, or debt from a

deceased relative) as well as debts you did owe.

Please do not include instances when a debt collector contacted you by mistake but was trying to

reach someone else to collect a debt from that person ( for example, when a debt collector was trying

to reach the person who previously had a phone number that is now your phone number )

.

 Yes → Continue to 10

 No → Skip to 54Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

3 

## Your experiences with debt collection

This section is about your experiences with debt collections. P lease include instances when you were

contacted about debts that you believed you did not owe (for example, someone else’s debt, debt you had

already paid, debt for the wrong amount, or debt f rom a deceased relative) as well as debts you did owe.

Please do not include instances when a debt collector contacted you by mistake but was trying to reach

someone else to collect a debt from that person (for example, when a debt collector was trying to reach

the person who previously had a phone number that is now your phone number).

10. In the past two years, since [ September 2012], how many different debts have debt collectors

tried to collect from you?

 1 debt

 2

– 4 debts

 5

– 9 debts

 10

– 14 debts

 1 5 or more debts

 Don’t know

11. Were any of these debts that you have been contacted about since [ September 2012]...

Yes No

A debt that you believe you d id not owe?  

A debt you believe you owe d but the amount the collector wa s seeking wa s wrong ?  

A debt for which you we re a co

- signer for someone else ?  

A debt owed by a family member ?  

A debt owed by a deceased family member ?  

12. Thinking about all of the debts that you have been contacted about since [ September 2012],

which of the following type(s) of debts were you contacted about?

Yes No

A credit card balance remaining after your last payment  

Mortgage, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit (HELOC)  

Auto loan  

Student loan  

Other consumer or personal loan or line of credit (other than a mortgage, auto, or

student loan)  

Auto title loan  

Payday loan  

Legal judgment or legal expenses (child support, attorneys’ fees, etc.)  

Past

- due taxes  

Past

- due medical bill  

Past

- due phone, cable, internet

, or other telecommunications bill  

Past

- due utility bill (gas, electric, etc.)  

Other type of debt: ________________________________________________  Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

4

13. Since [ September 2012], have you ever paid part or all of a debt after being contacted by a

debt collector about that debt ?

 Yes

 No

14. (If yes to 13 ) Thinking about the most recent debt you paid after being contacted, which

of the following best describe the most important reason or reasons you paid this debt?

Check the most important reason or reasons

.

 I owed the debt

 I thought it would improve my credit score or credit rating

 I wanted debt collectors to stop contacting me

 I wanted debt collectors to stop contacting friends, co

- workers

, or others

 I thought I might otherwise be sued

 I thought I might otherwise be arrested

 My financial situation changed and I was able to pay the debt

 I paid it because it was the right thing to do

 I paid it because it was a small amount

 I needed to pay it off to qualify for a new loan

 Other reason: ________________________________________________

15. (If yes to 13 ) People may pa y a debt that they are uncertain is theirs or that they do not

remember borrowing. Which of the following best describes how certain you were about

whether this debt was yours?

 I was reasonably certain the debt was mine

 I was reasonably certain the debt was not mine

 I was uncertain whether the debt was min e

16. Since [ September 2012], h ave you ever not paid a debt despite being contacted by a debt

collector about the debt?

 Yes

 No → Skip to 18

17. (If yes to 16 ) Thinking of the most recent instance when you did not pay a debt despite

being contacted by a debt collector, w hich of the following best describes the most

important reason or reason s you d id not pay the debt? Check the most important reason

or reasons.

 I did not have enough money

 The debt was not mine or was invalid

 I had already paid the debt

 The amount of the debt was wrong

 I did not know who to pay

 I assumed nothing bad would happen

 I was (or am) planning to file for bankruptcy

 I did not want to pay

 I plan to pay but have not yet done so

 Other reason : _________________________________________________Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

5

18. In the past two years, since [ September 2012], have you ever asked a debt collector to stop all

communications with you?

 Yes

 No

19. (If yes to 18 ) Thinking about the most recent time you made such a request, how did you

communicate your request to stop communications?

 Orally (over the phone, in person, etc.)

 By letter or fax

 By email or internet

20. (If yes to 18 ) Did the debt collector stop contacting you after this request?

 Yes

 No

21. (If yes to 18 ) Was this the first time that you had made this request to this debt collector,

or had you previously made this request to this debt collector ?

 Yes , this was the first time I requested the collector stop communications about this debt

 No , I had made the same request previously

22. (If yes to 18 ) After this request, were you contacted by a different debt collection firm

about the same debt?

 Yes

 No

23. At any time since [ September 2012], did you think about asking a debt collector to stop

contacting you but then did not?

 Yes

 No → Skip to 25

24. (If yes to 23) Consider the most recent time in which you thought about asking a debt

c ollector to stop contacting you but then did not. W hich of the following best describes

the main reason you did not ask the debt collector to stop contacting you? Check one

reason.

 I wanted to discuss my debt with the debt collector

 I did not think the debt collector would honor my request

 I never got around to doing it

 I was concerned the debt collector would sue me

 I was concerned about other consequences

 Other reason: ___________

___________________________________Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

6

25. How helpful do you believe each of the following pieces of information would be in recognizing

a debt that a debt collector contacted you about?

Very

helpful Somewhat

helpful Not at all

helpful

The name of the original creditor (for example, the original

lender, store, or hospital)   

The original account number   

An itemization of the amount owed (for example, principal,

interest and fees )   

The Social Security Number of the person who owes the debt   

The type of debt (credit card, medical bill, etc.)   

The name and address of the person who owes the debt   

The name and address of joint borrowers   

The date and amount of the last payment made   

A copy of the last billing statement   

A copy of the contract or original invoice   

Continue to 26Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

7 

## Your most recent debt collection

These questions refer to the debt that a debt collector contacted you about most recently

— even if you

bel ieve this debt is not yours, you believe the amount is wrong , or you believe you already paid this debt.

Please do not include instances when a debt collector contacted you by mistake but was trying to reach

someone else to collect a debt from that person (for example, when a debt co llector was trying to reach

the person who previously had a phone number that is now your phone number).

26. When were you last contacted by a debt collector about this debt?

 Less than a month ago

 1 to 3 months ago

 4 to 6 months ago

 7 to 12 months ago

 13 to 24 months ago

 Don’t know

27. When were you first contacted by a debt collector about this debt? Please include contact about

this debt from any person or company seeking to collect this debt.

 Less than 3 months ago

 4 to 6 months ago

 7 to 12 months ago

 13 to 24 m onths ago

 More than 24 months ago

 Don’t know

28. Which of the following best describes the type of debt that you were most recently contacted

about? Check one type of debt.

 A credit card balance remaining after your last payment

 Mortgage, home equity loan, or home equity line of credit (HELOC)

 Auto loan

 Student loan

 Other c onsumer or personal loan or line of credit (other than a mortgage, auto, or student loan)

 Auto title loan

 Payday loan

 Legal judgment or legal expenses (child support, attorneys’ fees, etc.)

 Past

- due taxes

 Past

- due m edical bill

 Past

- due phone, cable, internet

, o r other telecommunications bill

 Past

- due utility bill (gas, electric, etc.)

 Other type of debt: ________________________________________________

29. Did the following types of people or com panies contact you about this debt?

Yes No

The original creditor (for example, the original lender, store, or hospital)  

An attorney or law office  

A collection agency  

A company that owns the debt because it bought the debt from the original creditor  

Other or unknown type of debt collector  Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

8

30. When the debt collector first contacted you , did you believe that you owed this debt (even if

you believed it was for the wrong amount) ?

 Yes

 No

 I was uncertain

31. When the debt collector first contacted you , did you believe that the amount that the debt

collector was seeking was correct ?

 Yes

 No

 I was uncertain

32. Thinking about the debt collector that most recently contacted you about this debt, how long

did the debt coll ector try (or has the debt collector been trying) to collect the debt from you?

 2 weeks

 3 to 4 weeks

 2 to 3 months

 4 to 6 months

 More than 6 months

33. Thinking about the debt collector that most recently contacted you about this debt, how often

did the debt c ollector usually try to reach you each week? Include both successful and

unsuccessful attempts (for example, unanswered calls or voicemail messages) to contact you.

 Once per week or less

 2 to 4 times per week

 5 to 9 times per week

 1 0 to 19 times per week

 20 or more times per week

34. Has this debt collector tried to reach you in the following ways? Include both successful and

unsuccessful attempts to contact you.

Yes No

In person  

Phone  

Voicemail or answering machine message  

Letter  

Email  

Text message  

Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)  

Other: ________________________________________________________  Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

9

35. Have you contacted the following about your experience with this debt collector?

Yes No

A supervisor at the debt collection firm  

An attorney or legal aid organization  

A Federal or state government agency (C onsumer Financial Protection Bureau

, F ederal T rade C ommission

, state Attorney Gener al, etc.)  

A Better Business Bureau or other industry group  

A credit counselor  

36. How would you characterize your co m munications with this debt collector?

Agree Disagree

The collector was honest  

The collector contacted me too frequently  

The collector contacted me early in the morning (before 8 a.m.) or late at night

(after 9 p.m.)  

The collector was able to communicate in my primary language  

The collector clearly commu n i cated that he or she was calling to collect a debt  

The collector addressed questions I had about this debt clearly and accurately  

The collector was polite  

The collector threatened me  

37. To your knowledge, has this debt collector ever contacted a friend, coworker, or family

member other than your spouse as part of trying to collect this debt ? Do not include instances in

which the person contacted was a co

- signer.

 Yes

 No

38. (If yes to 37 ) Did th is debt collector contact the person to do any of the following?

Yes No

Ask the person how to locate you  

Discuss your debt with the person  

Ask the person to pay your debt  

Other: _______________________________________  

 Don’t know

39. Have you paid off some or all of this debt?

 Yes

 No

40. People sometimes dispute a debt, for example, by telling the debt collector that the debt is not

theirs or contesting the amount that is to be collected. In the past two years, since [September

2012], have you disputed a debt with a debt collector?

 Yes → Continue to 41

 No → Skip to 51Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

10 

## Disputing a debt in collection

Some consumers may dispute debts that debt collectors contact them about. These questions refer to

experiences you may have had disputing debts. Such dispute s include, for example, by telling the debt

collector that the debt is not yours, or contesting the amount to be collected.

If you disputed multiple debts since [September 2012] , please refer to the most recent dispute

.

41. Is the debt that you most recently disputed the same one as the most recent debt you were

contacted about (and that you described in questions 26

– 39 )?

 Yes

 No

42. D id you dispute the following ?

Yes No

Whether it was your debt  

Whether the amount of the debt was correct  

Whether the debt had already been paid  

Whether the debt collector had the right to collect the debt  

Other: _______________________________________________  

43. What type of person or company did you most recently dispute this debt with ?

 The original creditor (for example, the original lender, store, or hospital)

 An attorney or law office

 A collection agency

 A company that owns the debt because it bought the debt from the original creditor

 Other or unknown type of debt collector

44. H ad a different debt collection firm ( other than t he collector with whom you most recently

disputed the debt ) contacted you previously about this debt?

 Yes

 No

45. (If yes to 44) Before you disputed this debt with the most recent debt collector, had you

previously disputed this same debt with a different debt collection firm ?

 Yes

 No

46. Thinking about the most recent dispute, h ow did you dispute the debt?

 Orally (over the phone, in person, etc.)

 By letter or fax

 By email or internet

47. D id the debt collector do any of the following in respon se to this most recent dispute?

Yes No

Reduced the amount of debt  

Ceased efforts to collect the debt  

D id not respond and continued to contact me  Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

11

48. Did the debt collector provide additional information in response to your dispute?

 Yes

 No → Ski

p to 51

49. (If yes to 48) Did the debt collector provide the following in response to your dispute?

Yes No

The name of the original creditor (for example, the original lender,

store, or hospital )  

The original account number  

An itemization of the amount owed (for example, principal, interest,

and fees )  

The Social Security Number of the person who owes the debt  

The type of debt (credit card, medical bill, etc.)  

The name and address of the person who owes the debt  

The name and address of joint borrowers  

The date and amount of the last payment made  

A copy of the last billing statement  

A copy of the contract or original invoice  

Other: ______________________________________________  

50. (If yes to 48) Did this information allow you to determine if you owed the debt collector

the amount that the collector was seeking ?

 Yes

 No



## Lawsuits to collect on debts

51. In the past two years, since [ September 2012], have you been sued by a debt collector wishing

to collect a debt?

 Yes

 No → Skip to 54

52. (If yes to 51 ) Did you a ttend the court hearing for the most recent lawsuit?

 Yes → Skip to 54

 No

53. (If no to 52 ) People may want to attend a court hearing but then are un able to or

do not . Which of the following best describes the main reason you did not attend

the hearing? Check one reason.

 I did not think it mattered if I appeared or not

 I did not know that a lawsuit had been filed

 I did not know when or where the hearing was held

 It was too difficult (for example, I could not get off work) or it was too expensive

to attend

 Other: ______________________________________________

_______Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

12 

## Your preferences

To help the CFPB understand how consumers a nd debt collectors interact , t he following questions ask

for your opinion about being contacted through various methods and the con tent of messages a debt

collect or m ight leave

.

54. Please indicate and rank the top three ways that you would most prefer a debt collector to

contact you regarding a debt you owe

. Check only one option for each column.

First choice

(most preferred) Second

choice Third

choice

In

- person   

Phone   

Voicemail   

Letter   

Email   

Text message   

Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)   

Other: __________________________________________

_   

55. If a debt collector left you a voicemail or answering machine message, which of the following

statements would you prefer be included in the message, and which would you prefer not be

included?

Prefer it be

included Prefer it not be

included

The debt collector’s identity  

That the debt collector is attempting to collect a debt  

That the communication is an attempt to collect a debt and any

information obtained will be used for that purpose  

56. How important is it to you that others do not hear or see a message that they could tell was left

for you by a debt collector?

 Very important

 Somewhat important

 Not at all important

57. Which of the following best describes your employer’s policies or practices about receiving

personal phone calls on your work phone and on your mobile phone while you are at work ?

Check one response for your work phone and one for your mobile phone, as applicable

.

Work

phone Mobile

phone

I can receive personal calls at work without a problem  

I can receive personal calls at work as long as they are

infrequent and do not get in the way of my work  

I cannot receive personal phone calls at work  

I do not have this type of phone (work phone or mobile phone )  

Other: ____________________________________  

 I am not currently employed or am self

- employedDraft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

13 

## You and your household

58. What is your sex?

 Male

 Female

59. What is your age as of your last birthday?

 Less than 25 years

 25

– 34 years

 35

– 44 years

 45

– 54 years

 55

– 64 years

 65 years or older

60. What is your highest level of education?

 Less than a high school degree

 High school degree

 Some college (excluding technical or

vocational schools)

 College degree

 Postgraduate degree (for example, MA, PhD

, JD, MBA, MD)

61. Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?

 Yes

 No

62. What is your race? Check al l that apply

 White

 Black or African American

 American Indian or Alaska Native

 Asian

 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

63. Is English your prim ary language ?

 Yes

 No

64. Do you have a mobile phone?

 Yes

 No → Skip to 67

65. Would you have to pay extra ( on top of

any regular monthly fees) to receive the

following on your mobile phone?

Yes No

A call  

A text message  

66. Is your mobile phone’s area code the

same area code where you currently

live?

 Yes

 No 67. W hich of these ways do you regularly use to

access the internet?

Yes No

Your phone  

A computer at home  

A computer at work  

Other (for example, library

or a relative’s home)  

68. What is your current marital status?

 Married

 Separated

 Never married

 Divorced

 Widowed

69. Do yo u have a partner who shares the

decis ion

- making and responsibilities of

running your household but is not your

legal spouse?

 Yes

 No

Please answer the following questions for you and

your spouse or partner, if you have one.

70. Current work status: Check all that apply

You Spouse/

Partner

Self

- employed  

Work full time  

Work part time  

Retired  

Temporarily laid off or on

leave  

Not working for pay (e.g.,

student, disabled,

unemployed)  

71. Recent active duty military service and veteran

status: Active duty i nclude s service in U.S. Armed

Forces as well as activation from the Reserves or

National Guard

You Spouse/

Partner

On a ctive duty at any time

since [September 2012]  

Vet eran but no active duty

since [September 2012]  

No military service  Draft, Sensitive, and Predecisional

14

72. Besides you (and your spouse /partner), does anyone else live in your household?

Include anyone with a permanent address here even if he or she does not currently live here,

like a student away at college.

 Yes

 No → Skip to 74

73. (If yes to 72 ) In total, how many people live in your household, including you

(and your spouse or partner)?

_______ household members

74. Approximately how much was your total annual household income last year from all

sources (wages, salaries, tips, interest, child support, investment income, retirement, social

security, government benefits such as TANF, and alimony)?

 Under $20,000

 $20,000 to $39,999

 $40,000 to $69,999

 $70,000 to $99,999

 $100,000 or more

75. How does your total annual household income last year compare to what you would

expect in a “normal” year?

 Higher than normal

 Normal

 Lower than normal

76. Is your current residence owned, rented, or something else?

 Owned or being boug ht by you

, your spouse or partner

, or someone else living here

 Rented

 Neither owned nor rented

77. Have any of the following happened to you or your family since [ September 2012]?

Yes No

Separat ion, divorc e, or death of your spouse or partner  

Marri age (including remarri age) or moving in with a new partner  

Death of a household member (other than your spouse or partner)  

Birth, adoption, or addition to your household  

Person leaving your household  

Promotion or starting a new job for you  

Loss of a job or self

- employment income  

Retirement  

Disability or serious illness  

Disaster affecting your ho me  

Move within the state where you currently live  

Move from a different state  