For anyone who has fallen behind paying their bills, or had their debts turned over for collection, you know what it's like to get those calls from bill collectors. They call you at all hours at home, call you at work and constantly send you notices in the mail. Is there anything you can do to stop these debt collectors, or at least slow them down? Yes there is.

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, all debts for personal, family and household, are covered. Debt collectors must abide by the rules set up under this act. Some of the debts this act includes are: car loans, medical bills, credit card debt, personal loans and home mortgages.

A debt collector can contact you over the telephone, by mail, or even in person. They can call you anytime after 8:00 AM and before 9:00 PM. A bill collector can also call you at your job unless you tell them to stop. A debt collector can't contact anyone else about your debts other than your attorney if you have one.

What can't a debt collector do?

Every bill collector has certain rules to abide by. They may never: