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What are the biggest debt collector companies in the US?

George Simons | December 05, 2023

George Simons
Co-Founder of SoloSuit
George Simons, JD/MBA

George Simons is the co-founder and CEO of SoloSuit. He has helped Americans protect over $1 billion from predatory debt lawsuits. George graduated from BYU Law school in 2020 with a JD-MBA. In his spare time, George likes to cook, because he likes to eat.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Here’s the leaderboard for debt lawsuits in New Jersey (not sure if everyone can agree Jersey is actually part of the US, but . . .)

Biggest debt collectors

Sure, New Jersey isn’t the entire united states but because of the divided nature of the US court system, court data for all of the US is very difficult (never done) to get. Also, debt lawsuits aren’t the same as debt collection attempts.

But for what it’s worth, this is how it breaks down in NJ.

Based on data collected from 1996–2011 and published by Pro Publica, the top three suers for debt in NJ were New Century Financial, Capital One, and Encore Capital Group. Capital One, for example sued for 276,820 cases.

Unidentified includes miscellaneous cases; it isn’t one large debt collector.

These numbers are somewhat representative of the US at large. Capital One for example, is one of the largest suers for debt across the nation.

What’s in your wallet? A debt lawsuit.

Some other best guesses

There are 9,330 debt collectors in the US. Here’s a list of most of them.

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The Ultimate 50 State Guide

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If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

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The Debt Hotline

Hosted by Team Solo, The Debt Hotline breaks down debt and personal finance topics with help from attorneys, financial experts, and industry pros. We respond to real questions to help you navigate debt with knowledge and courage.

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