Structured debt recovery is not a modern invention; the Code of Hammurabi already set rules for creditor remedies nearly four thousand years ago.
Roman law allowed a creditor to seize a debtor's property and, in extreme cases, the debtor's person, a severity that modern regulation exists specifically to have moved away from.
The 20th century saw collection move from informal, often abusive practices to a licensed profession, with countries like Germany formalizing Inkasso regulation and the US building the FDCPA framework.
California's Debt Collection Licensing Act and DFPI oversight illustrate how far the industry has moved toward transparency and consumer protection, a trajectory most developed markets have followed to varying degrees.
Everything covered in this video, in full written form, in the complete article.
Read the full guideThe history of debt collection agencies traces from Hammurabi and Roman law to modern licensed firms. A procedural timeline for CFOs handling international B2B receivables.