Hi everyone. Thanks for downloading another weekly edition of Money Girl.

I'm Laura Adams, the author of several books and audio books including Money Girls

Smart Moves to Grow Rich. You can find the paperback or e-book at your

favorite bookseller.

I received a question from Janice who asks,

I've had a credit card for years that I always pay on time,

but I keep receiving collections letters and phone calls

saying that I owe a large debt on the account.

How can I stop this harassment when I don't owe a dime?

It's never fun being hounded by a debt collector. In this episode I'll tell you the best ways to deal with a collector no matter if it's a mistake or you have a financial hardship.

Knowing your rights is the best way to prevent debt collections harassment.

Many people don't realize that there are federal and state laws that debt collectors, such as collections agencies and attorneys, have to follow.

The main federal law for personal debt is called the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, or FDCPA.

It prohibits debt collectors from harassing you

even when you owe money.

A legal harassment includes the following,

threatening harm or violence, calling you repeatedly,

using obscene or profane language, misrepresenting personal or company identity, saying or doing anything deceptive or misleading,

and threatening to contact your employer about a debt.

Debt collectors also can't contact you at unusual times or places. For instance, they can't call you at unusual times or places.

For instance, they can't call you

before 8 o'clock in the morning or after 9 o'clock at night.

...