Books like Bad paper by Jake Halpern

Bad Paper is a revealing investigation into the shadowy landscape of consumer debt collection. Writing from a New Yorker‑style perspective, Jake Halpern tracks a former banking executive and an ex-armed robber who hunt “paper”—lists of uncollected debts that banks sell for pennies on the dollar. Through their partnership and the gritty tactics they employ, Halpern exposes how collection agencies misrepresent debtors, threaten illegal actions, and claim debts they are not entitled to, illustrating the broader, largely unregulated shadow economy that leaves many Americans struggling to clear their obligations. The book combines a narrative of unlikely friendship with a broader critique of the debt‑industrial complex, offering insights into the history of collection agencies and the human toll they exact on hardworking Americans.

First publish date: 2014