Known Quantity

A debt collector contacted you. Here is what to do.

A free, plain guide for the United States: what collectors can and cannot do, letters you can make in a minute, your 30-day dispute window, money they cannot take, and what to do about court papers. Nothing you type leaves your device.

First: do not panic, and do not ignore it

  • You have rights. A federal law, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, limits what debt collectors can do. It covers personal debts like credit cards, car loans, medical bills, student loans and mortgages. It does not cover business debts. (FTC)
  • Do not pay or agree to anything on the first call. The collector must send you a notice about the debt, in its first message or within 5 days after it. Read it first. (CFPB)
  • Do not give bank details or other private money information until you know the collector is real. (CFPB)
  • Keep a record. Write down the date, time and name for every call. Keep copies of every letter. (CFPB)
  • Got court papers? Those come first. Read the "Court papers" part of this page now, and answer by the date on the papers.
Private. Nothing you type or tap on this page leaves your phone or computer. We do not save it or send it anywhere. No sign-up. Do not type your Social Security number anywhere on this page.

What happened?

Pick what fits. We show the rule in plain words, where it comes from, and what to do next.

Pick one above. The rule and your next step will show here.

Make your letter

Stays on your device. What you type here is not sent anywhere or saved. When you leave the page, it is gone, so copy or print your letter first. Do not type your Social Security number.

Pick a letter, fill in the boxes, and copy or print it. Empty boxes show as [brackets] so you can write them in by hand. We wrote these from the rules on this page. The CFPB also has free sample letters.

The rule requires the collector to send verification before it keeps collecting. It does not say exactly which documents that must include. (rule)

Add a reason? (optional)

Your letter

How to send it

  • Sign it. Make a copy for yourself.
  • Send it by certified mail, return receipt requested. The receipt proves they got it. (FTC)
  • Keep the copy, the mail receipt and the green return card together, with the collector's letters.

Your 30-day dispute window

You have 30 days after you get the collector's notice (it may be called a validation notice) to dispute the debt in writing. If you dispute in time, the collector must stop collecting until it sends you proof. (CFPB) (rule)

Enter the day you got the notice, and we will count the 30 days. We count from the "Today's date" box above.

The notice must print the exact end date of your dispute window. If it shows a date, use that date. We could not confirm how the rule counts the days a letter spends in the mail, so mail your dispute early. (rule)

Money collectors cannot take

A collector cannot just take your money. These protections are federal. Your state may protect more. (DOL) (FTC)

Federal benefits

Social Security, SSI, veterans benefits and federal student aid are generally protected from garnishment by private creditors. They can be taken for unpaid federal taxes, child or spousal support, and federal student loans. (FTC)

Your bank account: the 2-month rule

When a bank gets a garnishment order, it must look back 2 months. It must protect the federal benefits paid into the account by direct deposit in that time: Social Security, SSI, veterans benefits, federal railroad retirement and railroad unemployment and sickness benefits, and federal civil service retirement (CSRS and FERS). (NCUA)

  • The protected amount is the smaller of the benefits deposited in those 2 months or the balance on the day the bank checks.
  • The bank must check within 2 business days. (NCUA) (rule)
  • It must let you use the protected money normally and send you a notice. You do not have to ask for it first. It cannot charge a garnishment fee against that money. (rule)
  • Money above that amount may be frozen. You may be able to protect more under your state's law by asking the court. Your state decides if state unemployment benefits are protected.
  • Different rules apply to orders from the United States government or a state child support agency.
$1,000 safe
$2,500 in benefits came in, but the balance is $1,000.
$4,500 safe
$4,500 in benefits came in and the balance is $5,000. Only $500 could be taken.

Examples from the rule itself. Appendix C

Your paycheck

For most debts (not child support, taxes or bankruptcy), the most that can be taken from a week's pay is the smaller of:

  • 25% of your disposable pay, or
  • the amount your disposable pay is over 30 times the federal minimum wage.

"Disposable pay" is what is left after deductions the law requires, like taxes. At the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour:

  • $217.50 a week or less: nothing can be taken.
  • Between $217.50 and $290: only the part over $217.50.
  • $290 or more: up to 25%.

The $217.50 floor follows the federal minimum wage. It was $7.25 an hour as of November 2026. If that changes, these numbers change too. Check the federal minimum wage.

Your employer cannot fire you because your pay is garnished for one debt. If your state limits garnishment more, the state limit applies. (DOL Fact Sheet #30)

Type a weekly amount to see the federal most that can be taken for an ordinary debt. Paid every two weeks? Use half.

Court papers: never ignore them

  • Answer by the date on the papers. You can answer yourself or through a lawyer. Answering does not mean you agree that you owe the money. The collector has to prove it. (CFPB)
  • The deadline is different in each state and court. Read the papers today to find yours. (CFPB)
  • If you do not answer, the court can decide against you without hearing your side. This is a default judgment. It is usually for the amount they asked for, plus fees, interest and costs. After that, the creditor may be able to take money from your pay, freeze your bank account or put a lien on your property, depending on your state. Judgments are hard to undo. (CFPB)
  • Is the debt very old? Being past the time limit can be a defense, but you usually have to raise it yourself. Bring proof of your last payment date. (CFPB)
  • You may be able to settle before a judgment. (CFPB)
  • Not sure the papers are real? Call the court clerk. Look up the court's number yourself; do not use the number on the papers. (Our general advice.) Collectors are not allowed to send papers made to look like court papers. (rule)

Free legal help

How to complain

Keep your records: call dates, times and names, letters, and mail receipts. You can file in more than one place.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

File a complaint online or call (855) 411-2372 (TTY (855) 729-2372), weekdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. The CFPB sends your complaint to the company. It says to try the company first, and that you usually cannot file twice about the same problem.

The portal was open when we checked on November 14, 2026. The CFPB has been changing in 2025 and 2026, and its complaint rules may change. Check consumerfinance.gov/complaint for how it works today, and file with your state attorney general too.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. (FTC)

Your state attorney general

The FTC lists your state attorney general first as a place to report. Find yours with NAAG's attorney general finder. Your attorney general's office can also tell you your state's rules, like the time limit for old debts. (FTC)

Where every rule and number comes from

Last checked November 14, 2026. Every rule, number and date on this page traces to one of these. Our full research notes, including what we could not confirm and what may go out of date, are public: research-log.txt.

Garnishment of accounts containing federal benefit payments NCUA (federal regulator guide to 31 CFR part 212)
31 CFR 212.5: the bank's account review Treasury rule (Cornell LII)
31 CFR 212.6: what the bank must do Treasury rule (Cornell LII)
Find legal aid Legal Services Corporation

Who made this, and how to correct it

This is information, not legal advice. Rules differ by state. For advice about your case, talk to legal aid or a lawyer.

Made by Known Quantity LLC, a small Rhode Island company, as free public-interest work. We have no tie to any debt collector, creditor, government agency or group named on this page, and no one paid for this page. We do not see or keep anything you type here.

If we got something wrong or a rule has changed, email [email protected] with the source and we will fix it.

Also useful: Got a hospital bill you cannot pay? · Health insurance said no? · You lost your job: the first 30 days · Know your rights as a renter · All our free help pages

Free to reuse, copy, print and share, with or without credit. Last checked November 14, 2026.

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