Creditors typically package thousands of uncollected accounts into portfolios after they have been delinquent for 120 to 180 days. These are sold on the secondary market to professional debt buyers.

Debt buyers are companies that purchase debt portfo- lios from originating creditors or other debt buyers on the secondary market. Receivables Management Association International

: Common types of consumer debt available for purchase include credit cards, medical bills, auto loan deficiencies, utility payments, and payday loans.

: Large institutions often use "Forward Flow Agreements," where they commit to buying a fixed amount of debt each month for a set price. Smaller buyers may purchase "one-time" portfolios or use specialized platforms like EverChain to find acquisition-ready files. Investment Risks and Profitability

: Debt is often sold for "pennies on the dollar." Depending on factors like age, type of debt, and likelihood of recovery, a buyer might pay between 1 and 10 cents for every dollar of face value. For example, a $10,000 credit card debt might be purchased for just $1,000.