Brokers, middlemen, and intermediaries serve an economic purpose: to put people who want a product or service in touch with a product maker or service provider. Real estate brokers help us buy and sell homes; mortgage brokers help us find lenders for our home purchases; manufacturing reps help get new products on our grocery shelves, and so on. These middlemen help match buyers and sellers and provide information in the marketplace.

The Federal Trade Commission, however, has become highly suspicious of intermediaries and brokers in some marketplace areas. Last week, for example, the FTC settled a case against three companies and their owner for marketing debt relief services on behalf of debt settlement service providers.

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