Read Graciela Aponte-Diaz's remarks before the July 2016 CFPB Field Hearing on Debt Collection. The unfair and abusive practices of debt collection in the market can take advantage of financially-distressed consumers or unfairly strip families of wealth. The Great Recession made this financial distress inevitable for many U.S. households. Each year, tens of millions of Americans are pursued by creditors, debt collectors, debt buyers, or attorneys for an overdue bill. And while debt collection plays a role in our economy, it may also expose U.S. households to unnecessary abuses. Debt collection is the leading cause for complaints to state and federal regulators, alike. The largest number of complaints come from consumers hounded over debts they do not owe.