Collector

As the Waters Rise

In the late 1990s, ACA International's E&O program was flooded with multiple large classaction lawsuits. For the first time in our program's history, we saw trends develop that we needed to address. It wasn't long ago that agencies: * Competition: ACAs E&O program has flourished due in no small part to viable competition. It wasn't that long ago that collection agencies had little, if any, alternatives to ACAs E&O program. After the success of the Collection Notice Review program,...

First-Year Impressions

I've learned that ACA members are an integral part of their communities, giving back through charitable contributions and volunteer hours. According to our recent economic impact study conducted by Ernst & Young, the collection industry is responsible for more than $85 million in charitable contributions and 652,000 employee volunteer hours annually. You've demonstrated through your support of ACAs Blueprint for Modernizing Debt Collection that you seek a business environment that is fair...

Making the Call

The wait time for your collectors ties right back into the number of lines assigned per agent. However, don't assume that the more lines per agent you use will result in a shorter wait time. This may hold true on some occasions, but the day of the week, the time of day, the collectors on the campaign, the number of accounts being dialed and the number of times accounts were previously dialed will all affect your collectors' wait time. There is a reason why dialers are called "predictive," and...

Mark Schiffman Is Named Vice President of Public Affairs

Since joining ACA in 2010, [Mark Schiffman] has been actively involved in telling the story of our industry to the press on a daily basis and has led ACA and state unit media relations.

Preparing for Election Season

The rumored leading candidate for the Republican chairman position is Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas). Hensarling, who is currently the chairman of the House Republican Conference, is also currently the vice chairman for the Financial Services Committee. If Hensarling accepted the Financial Services Chairman position, he would likely have to step down from his other leadership role. He said, "Today's recess appointment of a director to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - with the Se...

Preventing Data Leaks

Analysts are unable to agree on whether or not data security breaches are on the rise; however, it's clear they are costly to businesses that regularly handle consumers' information, potentially devastating to businesses' reputations and of grave concern to consumers. According to the Ponemon Institute study, the damage to a business's reputation after a data security breach can extend for a year or longer after the initial notification is given. Under national privacy laws like Gramm-Leach-B...

Protect Yourself

3. Establish good partnerships. Thank goodness for our industry's business partners. Imagine trying to manage risk without the help of the many companies that support us. Visit any ACA state unit meeting, conference or convention and these business partners will be there, ready to help you maximize your profits and keep your business safe. If you're looking for a new vendor, stop by the Expo Hall at ACAs Annual Convention in July. If you haven't spent much time in the Expo Hall, you're in for...

Raise Your Visibility

"When you say you're going to invest in the designation, it immediately sets them up for success," said Thomas Oldani, IFCCE, vice president for Ann Arbor Credit Bureau in Ann Arbor, Mich. "They think, 'The company is doing something for me and I know if I do this, it will make me better at what I do.'" "You get a pulse of what's going on with others and what's going on with consumers," [Roger Weiss] said. "That's huge, and it's an unsung benefit that comes with recertification." "That's what...

Recent Campus Aca Certificate Recipients

Florida - Katina Barnett, Aantar Coates, Kaitlynn Fargo, Marie Festa, Ashley Herds, Fernando Ospina, James Perry, Luis Ramos, Alana Trotz, Helen Vaughn Tennessee - Christy Barnes, Tamara Collins, Sally Deakle, Jureen Hendrickson, Stephanie Hoskins, Tracy Moore, Rodney Onque, Victor Payne, Ruth Shahan, Kirn Strickland, Danielle Tillman, Tammy Womble

Staying Strong

"We're always looking at how we can increase participation, both in our meetings and our activities," said FCA President Quinn Simpson. "I know it's difficult for all units, especially in the trying times of recent years." "We were able to squash that legislation, and decided that we needed to take a more proactive approach to our relationships," Simpson said. "So we went to Tallahassee to meet with our attorney general and the Office of Financial Regulation. We weren't coming to them about a...

Student Loan Relief

"The new bill proposes a repayment option where the federal government gets some money back on its student loan investment," said David Glezerman, assistant vice president at Temple University in Philadelphia. "A vast majority of individuals who would have debt forgiveness are very lowincome borrowers who, without the option, likely wouldn't be able to pay at all." "My understanding is that the student loan forgiveness plan would be limited to federal and public funded student loan debt," Gle...

Ten Tips for Effective Disaster Preparedness Planning

"I'm not advocating being over-insured, but a major disaster is the wrong time to be reviewing your insurance policy," [James Rivera] said. "You need to have that conversation annually or a few times a year to make sure you know what insurance you have." "Having a back-up place to work is critical, but again it's just one piece of the whole plan," [Jeremy Quinn] said. "Sometimes it doesn't make sense to have a hot site 200 miles away. In the event of a natural disaster, people don't want to l...

The Perfect Day

By now you're probably ready to scream, "But it's impossible to have the perfect day!" * Create ways to be better focused. Many of the tasks you undertake are high mental exercises. Does the environment in which you work support your ability to focus or does it distract you? When you need to be focused, turn off any audible distractions and remove physical distractions (other items in your immediate work area that remind you of other work projects). If that doesn't work, consider removing you...