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20 April 2026

Today’s Podcast Episode: Debt Sales 101 Mini-Series — Episode 3: Who Buys Debt And How Deals Are Structured

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Ballard Spahr LLP

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Ballard Spahr LLP—an Am Law 100 law firm with more than 750 lawyers in 18 U.S. offices—serves clients across industries in litigation, transactions, and regulatory compliance. A strategic legal partner to clients, Ballard goes beyond to deliver actionable, forward-thinking counsel and advocacy powered by deep industry experience and an understanding of each client’s specific business goals. Our culture is defined by an entrepreneurial spirit, collaborative environment, and top-down focus on service, efficiency, and results.
Who purchases charged-off debt, and how do these transactions actually work? This episode explores the specialized world of debt buyers, examining how they evaluate portfolios through legal...
United States Finance and Banking
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In Episode 3 of our Debt Sales 101 mini-series, we discuss who buys charged-off debt and how debt sale transactions are typically structured. We explain how different buyers specialize in different asset classes and how buyers evaluate portfolios from legal, regulatory, and commercial perspectives.

From a buyer’s perspective, purchasing debt is not just a credit decision. Buyers are underwriting legal and regulatory risk as much as they are underwriting expected recoveries. In this episode, we discuss the key factors buyers consider, including transferability and chain of title, collectability and applicable statutes of limitation, licensing requirements, and the broader regulatory environment that affects how accounts can be collected. These factors often drive pricing and determine whether certain buyers will participate in a particular sale process.

We also discuss how sellers identify the right buyer and why working with well-capitalized and experienced buyers can have a significant impact on execution and pricing. From there, we walk through the primary transaction structures used in the market, including spot sales and forward flow arrangements, and discuss how risk allocation, repricing risk, and portfolio segmentation are addressed in these structures.

The key takeaway from this episode is that debt sales are not one-size-fits-all transactions. The identity of the buyer, the structure of the deal, and the allocation of regulatory and commercial risk all directly affect pricing, execution, and long-term success of a debt sale program. In the next episode, we turn to the regulatory landscape and discuss how recent regulatory developments are shaping the debt sale market.

To listen to this episode, click here.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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