 On October 17, 2005 the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) came into effect with more stringent bankruptcy laws making it more difficult for debtors to use the courts to be released from debt.According to the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), these two factors contributed to the rapid growth of the debt buying industry.The increased debt load was further complicated by "rising interest rates and stagnant personal incomes".