Minimum wage varies from state to state but there is a federal minimum wage that ever company must abide two, minus a few loopholes. Information on minimum wage is contained within.
Wage garnishment is the term used to refer to the direct removal of funds from a debtor's paycheck to repay a debt. Despite their threats, the complicated legal process necessary for gaining grounds for garnishment makes it a last ditch effort for most collectors.
But this doesn't mean it can't happen.
Knowing how and why it can happen, and the consumer's rights when it does, is the best way to protect yourself and your wages.