Collections & Credit Risk articles from April 2006

Collections & Credit Risk archives from April 2006

Sometimes, it's fun to shake things up a bit.(Redesigning of business magazine)
April 1, 2006... "Business-as-usual" can be nothing more than an excuse not to innovative, not to be creative, not to challenge yourself to do better. Often times, new approaches and new outlooks are needed instead. Shaking things up, for the better, is what...

Debt Buyers Awaiting Chapter 13 Paper.
April 1, 2006... The rise in Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings that's expected as a result of last year's sweeping bankruptcy law changes may turn out to be a windfall this year for debt buyers. "Once the money starts to flow, it's going to be a jackpot," says...

Recent Deals.(Collins Financial Services sold to Brazos Private Equity Partners L.L.C.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Collins Financial Services, Austin, Texas, has been sold to Brazos Private Equity Partners, Dallas, for undisclosed terms. Collins Financial is a top purchaser of credit card charge offs and other delinquent loans. Walt Collins, the company's...

Home Equity Loans Steady Despite Higher Rates.
April 1, 2006... Despite a cooling housing market, rising interest rates and increasing worries about how consumers will keep current on their mortgage payments in such an environment, defaults on home equity loans have been holding to their historically low...

Debt-Sales Markets Soar.(United States debt market reports)
April 1, 2006... The U.S. debt market saw $110 billion, face value, of consumer debt bought and sold in 2005, according to a new report from consulting firm Kaulkin Ginsberg. Kaulkin's new Global Debt Buying Report also looked at debt selling around the...

Your Credit Counselor Is Waiting: Bankruptcy reform is sending people to counselors, but so far that's hurting rather than helping counselors' business. Here's how they're trying to cope.
April 1, 2006... More business isn't always a good thing. Last year's sweeping bankruptcy reform, which requires counseling before bankruptcy filing, had credit counseling agencies across the nation anticipating a fresh rush of business this year. The rush has...

Who Are the Credit Counselors?
April 1, 2006... (a sampling of major agencies) ClearPoint Financial Solutions Richmond, Va. Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta Inc. 18 offices Atlanta Credit Advisors Foundation 2 offices Omaha, Neb. ...

Bankruptcy Attorneys Say No to Counseling.
April 1, 2006... The credit counseling requirement of the new bankruptcy law is a cruel and costly experiment for down-and-out debtors, says a group of bankruptcy attorneys hoping Congress will overturn the requirement. The National Association for Consumer...

Bring Out Your Debts!: Private collection agencies more often are chasing debt from the government. Are collectors courting trouble or will the trend lead to a windfall?
April 1, 2006... Government agencies from the federal branch to small town America are doling out a rich pile of the public's debt to private collection firms, comforted that the industry long ago traded brass knuckles for white gloves - kid-sized. Partnerships...

Throw Out That Script!: Call centers aren't telling their collectors to do that just yet but they are training employees to be more creative in working with debtors.
April 1, 2006... Call centers increasingly are trying to put a positive customer-service spin on their collection calls. Employees now "encourage" and "help" debtors to find ways to pay off the debts they owe to call center clients. And while centers...

A Balancing Act: Deciding when it makes sense to lend to troubled companies takes skill, insight and a keen sense of business conditions.
April 1, 2006... It's impossible to pick up the business pages these days and not read about some major company that isn't: A) considering bankruptcy; B) in bankruptcy; or C) emerging from bankruptcy. The list begins with major airlines such as United Airlines,...

Taming Time: Credit executives need to develop better time management skills.
April 1, 2006... Take a minute to read this article. Don't have the time? Join the club. A Credit Research Foundation (CRF) study last year found that the major obstacle confronting credit professionals is lack of time, cited by 51 percent of respondents...

Tips For Better Time Management.
April 1, 2006... "When someone comes up to you and asks, 'Do you have a minute?' you need to remember that it will end up being about 12 minutes of your time. Then you also need to take into account the time it will take to get your thoughts back on what...

The Commercial Fraud Shell Game: What seems like bad debt could simply be fraud. Knowing which is which can help collection efforts.
April 1, 2006... Identity theft and other forms of fraud have understandably commanded significant media and regulatory attention, but a large amount of fraud flies under the radar, going undetected as bad debt. Industry executives Experian has talked with...

Collections & Credit Risk Ad Index.
April 1, 2006... Advertiser Page Allsec Technologies 21 817-704-3546 www.allsectech.com Collect America 23 800-478-5541 ext. 334 www.collectamerica.com Collection...

Advertising and Service Contacts for Collections & Credit Risk and Credit & Collections World.
April 1, 2006... Advertising Associate Publisher Brenda Schultheis 550 West Van Buren, Suite 1100 Chicago, Illinois 60607 Brenda.SchultheisSourceMedia.com (847) 251-1588 Fax: (847) 251-0887 Advertising Sales Manager ...

Stats.
April 1, 2006... CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE METRICS Net Flow Rates Bucket-to-Bucket Current Outstanding to Cycle 1 (1-29 days delinquent) 7.90% Cycle 1 (1-29 days delinquent) to Cycle 2 (30-59 days delinquent) 22.72%...