We are excited to announce the launch of a new six-part podcast mini-series focused on one of the most important and often misunderstood areas of consumer financial services: debt sales. A new episode will be released each Monday, with our first episode being released this coming Monday. This mini-series will run in addition to our regular Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast episodes, which will continue to be released on Thursdays.
Over the past several years, debt sales have evolved significantly. What was once viewed primarily as a back-end recovery tool is now a strategic lever that touches everything from balance sheet management and liquidity to regulatory risk, litigation exposure, and brand reputation. At the same time, the legal and compliance landscape governing these transactions has become more complex, more fragmented, and more consequential.
This mini-series is designed to provide a practical, end-to-end roadmap for understanding how debt sales actually work, both from a business and legal perspective. Drawing on real-world experience advising clients and executing transactions, we walk through the full lifecycle of a debt sale and highlight where opportunities exist and where risks most often arise.
The series is co-hosted by Joseph Schuster, Partner in Ballard Spahr’s Consumer Financial Services Group, and Chris Eastman of Franklin Ross Strategies, bringing together both the legal and regulatory perspective and the commercial and operational perspective.
The Six Episodes:
- How Debt Sales Work and Why Companies Use Them
- What Can Be Sold? Understanding Eligible Debt and Portfolio Composition
- Who Buys Debt and How Deals Are Structured
- The Regulatory Landscape for Debt Sales Today
- Closing the Deal: Key Contracting and Transaction Issues
- After the Close: Compliance, Oversight, and Ongoing Risk
Each episode builds on the last, moving from foundational concepts to more advanced and practical considerations, including contracting, regulatory expectations, and post-sale oversight.
In the opening episode, we set the stage by answering a deceptively simple question: What is a debt sale? From there, we explore why companies sell debt, how these transactions are structured, and where legal and operational considerations intersect. It serves as the foundation for the rest of the series and is designed to be accessible to both newcomers and experienced practitioners.
Whether you are considering a debt sale program, actively managing one, or advising clients in this space, we hope this series provides clear and practical insights that you can apply immediately.
Stay tuned for Episode 1 on Monday.