Student loans, IRS crackdowns contribute to a huge jump in calls

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• Debt collection calls in the U.S. more than doubled in early 2025, soaring to over 112,000 reports.

• Nearly half of complaints involved abusive or harassing tactics, raising consumer protection concerns.

• Georgia and its capital, Atlanta, top the nation for the highest per capita rates of debt collection calls.

Americans are fielding a wave of debt collection calls this year, with new data revealing a dramatic spike in complaints and alarming trends in harassment reports.

According to an analysis of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data by NumberBarn, a phone number management platform, consumers reported 112,583 debt collection calls in the first quarter of 2025 alonea staggering 150% increase over the 44,999 complaints filed during the same period in 2024.

Perhaps even more troubling, nearly 47% of these calls53,243 complaintswere flagged as abusive, threatening, or harassing, quadrupling from just over 13,000 reports the previous year. Experts warn this surge may reflect not only aggressive debt collection practices but also a rise in scam calls posing as legitimate collectors.

Nationwide, the average debt per person is $61,660, which is a $970 year-over-year increase, NumberBarn noted in its report.

Georgia leads the nation

Georgia has emerged as the epicenter of debt collection activity in 2025, recording 80.8 reports per 100,000 residents, the highest rate nationwide. Other states reporting high volumes of debt collection calls include Texas, Florida, and Delaware.

Among U.S. cities, Atlanta ranks first for per capita debt collection call reports, followed by Dallas, Miami, Houston, and Memphis. The clustering of high-report cities in the South underscores a regional trend where consumers are grappling with both legitimate debt collection calls and potential .

Younger adults most targeted

The data also shows that Americans aged 30 to 39 reported the highest volume of debt collection calls in 2025, suggesting that younger working-age adults are bearing the brunt of aggressive collection efforts amid rising personal debt burdens.

Meanwhile, California, Colorado, and Washington continue to report the highest average personal debt balances nationwide.

Know your rights

Experts urge consumers to know their rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, threatening, or harassing tactics. Any consumers experiencing harassment or suspecting a scam should report incidents to the FTC or seek legal advice.

Learn more about debt collection and debt management.

U.S. homebuilders are still not building enough houses

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• America's housing deficit grew by 159,000 homes in 2023, according to the latest Census data.

• Roughly 1.4 million new homes were added to the housing stock in 2023, but that number didn't keep pace with 1.8 million newly formed families.

• Millennials represent the largest generation of people sharing homes with non-relatives.

So far in 2025, the housing market has been soft compared to past years. But despite a shortage of buyers who have been priced out of the housing market, prices seem to go up each month. A new report by real estate platform Zillow has found a big reason.

The U.S. housing market has a record deficit of 4.7 million homes.

The study, based on fresh U.S. Census data, points to a decades-long shortfall in housing construction that has become a primary driver of the countrys housing affordability woes.

Since the pandemic, there has been a surge in home construction, but the pace of building has failed to keep up with population growth and mounting demand. In 2023 alone, the deficit grew by 159,000 homes, a slower rate than the 257,000 increase in 2022, but still pushing the nation further away from meeting its housing needs.

The unfortunate fact is that we still don't have enough housing in this country for people who need it, said Orphe Divounguy, senior economist at Zillow. Construction has helped prevent the housing deficit from ballooning, but it hasn't yet begun to close the gap.

Vacancy meets overcrowding

At the end of 2023, 3.4 million homes sat vacant and available for rent or purchase, while 8.1 million families shared housing with nonrelatives an indicator of a market where affordability, not availability, is the central issue.

While some individuals may choose shared housing, Zillow notes that most of these families would likely prefer their own place, if they could afford one. For context, a median-income family today would need an additional income of $17,670 annually to afford a typical home compared to 2019.

A surge in homebuilding brought some relief. In 2023, 1.45 million housing units were completed, followed by 1.63 million in 2024 the highest numbers since 2007. This momentum is helping, but not enough to reverse years of underbuilding, particularly after the Great Recession, when new construction lagged well behind demand.

Cities that relaxed zoning regulations allowing for higher density and streamlined construction saw faster stabilization of prices and rents. Zillow's research found that these regions were more agile in responding to pandemic-fueled housing demand, while cities with tight regulations saw their deficits persist or worsen.

We know what works: lower building restraints to allow for more density and less expensive housing, Divounguy said. More of these measures at the local level can help get more homes built.

The bread may contain hazelnuts, which are not listed on the label

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Hartford Bakery, Inc. is recalling six lots of its "Lewis Bake Shop Artisan Style 1/2 Loaf" bread due to undeclared hazelnuts, which pose a serious health risk to individuals with nut allergies or sensitivities.

• Approximately 883 loaves were affected and distributed across 12 U.S. states (including Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia) through retailers such as Kroger and Walmart; the issue arose from packaging errors that failed to properly declare hazelnut content.

• Consumers are advised to return the product for a full refund and can contact Hartford Bakery at 1-812-425-4642 during business hours (MonFri, 8:00 am3:00 pm CDT) with any questions.

Hartford Bakery, Inc. is recalling six lots of its Lewis Bake Shop Artisan Style 1/2 Loaf because it may contain undeclared hazelnuts. People with a nut allergy or severe sensitivity to hazelnuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products.

Out of an abundance of caution, Hartford Bakery, Inc. is removing all units of product included in the six affected lot codes noted below. Hartford Bakery, Inc has determined that no other lot codes were affected.

The recalled Lewis Bake Shop Artisan Style 1/2 Loaf products were distributed in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, and Mississippi retailers, including Kroger and Walmart. The product comes in a flexible plastic bag marked with the following information:

• Lot code T10 174010206, T10 174010306, T10 174010406, T10 174020206, T10 174020306, T10 174020406 found on the front panel of packaging.

• Net Weight 12OZ (340G), UPC 24126018152 found on the bottom of packaging.

• An expiration date of 07/13/2025 found on the front panel of packaging.

What to do

The recall was initiated after discovering that approximately 883 loaves of bread from six production lots contained visible hazelnuts and were distributed in Lewis Bake Shop Artisan Style 1/2 Loaf packaging. While the packaging states May Contain Tree Nuts, it does not state that it Contains Hazelnuts. An investigation revealed an error in change of packaging for a hazelnut-containing bread to the implicated white bread product.

While there have been no major reports of injury or illness to date, Hartford Bakery is aware of one customer who experienced digestive discomfort after consumption. Hartford Bakery also received consumer complaints from those who saw the nuts before consuming the product.

Consumers who purchased the recalled products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Hartford Bakery at 1-812-425-4642 Monday through Friday, except for holidays, from 8:00 am-3:00 pm CST.

Two separate food companies have issued alerts

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Two separate mushroom recalls announced in the U.S. and Canada due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
  

• Products sold in New York, Michigan, and Ohio include sliced and whole mushroom varieties from LLK Trading Inc. and Wiet Peeters Farm Products Ltd.
  

• No illnesses reported to date; consumers urged to return affected products for a full refund.

A pair of mushroom recalls have been announced by food safety officials in the United States and Canada after routine inspections revealed potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a harmful bacterium known to cause severe illness, particularly in vulnerable populations.

New Jersey-based LLK TRADING INC. has issued a voluntary recall of its 200g packages of Needle Mushrooms after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration detected Listeria monocytogenes during routine testing. The mushrooms were distributed to Bally Produce Corp. in Maspeth, New York, and were sold through Datang Supermarket Inc.

The product, packaged in a clear plastic top with a blue opaque bottom, has not been linked to any reported illnesses so far. However, LLK Trading has halted all sales of the product while it cooperates with the FDA to investigate the contamination source.

Consumers in possession of the recalled mushrooms are advised not to consume the product and instead return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. For questions, LLK Trading can be reached Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST at (908) 290-3061.

Peeters Mushroom Farm Products Recalled in Canada and U.S.

Second recall

In a parallel incident, Wiet Peeters Farm Products Limited, based in Charing Cross, Ontario, has recalled three mushroom products that were distributed in Michigan and Ohio. The recall affects:

• Aunt Mids Fresh Sliced Mushrooms (227g, UPC 0 33383 676005)
  

• Peeters Mushroom Farm Cremini Sliced Mushrooms (227g, UPC 0 68414 96960 3)
  

• Peeters Mushroom Farm Thick Slice Mushroom (10lb cardboard box)
  

The Listeria contamination was first identified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in a sample of the 227g sliced mushrooms. As a precaution, all products processed on the same production line have been pulled from shelves.

Like the LLK recall, no illnesses have been reported in connection with the Canadian products. Customers are instructed to return the mushrooms to their point of purchase for a full refund. Wiet Peeters Farm Products can be contacted Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST at (519) 351-1945 or toll-free at 1-800-364-1305.