Collections & Credit Risk articles from August 2004

Collections & Credit Risk archives from August 2004

International Connections Grow: Global Focus.(Editorial)
August 2, 2004... This month's issue of Collections & Credit Risk has a bit of an international flavor. Our cover story, "The Overseas Connection," looks at the controversial topic of offshore outsourcing of collections-related functions. (The article begins on...

Letters To The Editor.(Letter to the Editor)
August 2, 2004... Centralize, Please To the Editor: Central regulation [of credit counseling firms] is important, since state regulation can be very off the mark with collections. Michael Malone MDM Associates San Isidro, Buenos Aires,...

Survey Results.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Here's how visitors to Credit & Collections World, Collections & Credit Risk's website, voted on this month's Instant Survey: In view of the recent scandals and rise of nationwide credit counseling firms, should credit-counseling agencies...

GAO Backs Tax Collections Plan; Measure Remains Stalled.(Government Accounting Office)(Internal Revenue Service)
August 2, 2004... When the Government Accounting Office weighed in on a long-discussed plan for private collectors to pursue back taxes for the Internal Revenue Service, it fueled a still simmering debate. Are private collections agencies up to the task? ...

What's New.
August 2, 2004... New Card Fraud Detection Features Unveiled Equifax Inc., based in Atlanta, introduces credit card fraud detection features to Equifax Credit Watch credit monitoring product. For no extra charge, Equifax Credit Watch customers receive...

Wachovia Merger Set.
August 2, 2004... Wachovia Corp., Charlotte, N.C., and SouthTrust Corp., Birmingham, Ala., agreed to merge. Wachovia will exchange 0.89 shares of its stock for each share of SouthTrust stock. Based on Wachovia's closing stock price of $47 on June 18, 2004, the...

New Life for CRM Software: Once used strictly as a marketing tool, CRM applications can help companies gauge risk across the customer relationship, and help them meet regulatory compliance.
August 2, 2004... At the peak of the customer relationship management craze in the late 1990s, financial institutions couldn't spend fast enough to install CRM applications identifying cross-selling opportunities in their customer bases. The goal: Build profits...

The Overseas Connection: As offshore collections grow, collections executives search for the right formula to maximize quality and profits. It may not be for everyone, but those who have tried it generally agree: "Offshoring" is here to stay.
August 2, 2004... Despite the recent uproar about sending U.S. jobs overseas, collections companies, in an effort to cut costs, continue to open new offshore call centers and ship more of their work out of the country. Collections executives say they can't argue...

Calendar.(Calendar)
August 2, 2004... Credit Research Foundation's Credit & Accounts Receivable Open Forum August 16 - 18, 2004 Chicago At the Drake Hotel Monday, August 16th Noon to 1:00 Forum Registration 1:00 to 1:15 Welcome &...

On a Client's Home Turf: Customer visits are not just for collecting on past-due accounts, but an excellent way to gather information about clients and build relationships to weather tough times.(National Association of Credit Management)
August 2, 2004... It's no secret in credit circles that one of the most effective ways to collect a delinquent account is to make a personal visit to the customer's business. A visit can turn a collections failure into a success, for more reasons than one. ...

Cohort Training in Cyberspace: An exciting new online course in international credit risk management engages students in an interactive and effective learning experience that challenges even the most expert of credit professionals.
August 2, 2004... For those whose university experience is reminiscent of packed lecture halls, rapid note-taking, all-nighters, and blue book exams, a new online education course in international credit risk management is as close as it gets to being in an...

What's It All About?
August 2, 2004... The more than 1,000 pages of material for FCIB's international credit risk management program are organized into 12 modules. Module 1 includes a course introduction and information on the tools and resources available throughout the course,...

Two Heads Better Than One.(Finance Credit International Business)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Like many organizations, FCIB wanted to offer adult education opportunities online. It wasn't so much about finding the right online platform as it was about understanding and creating a unique instructional design. FCIB had considered...

The Mortgage Solution: Partnering with a reputable mortgage company can help collections professionals collect on past-due debt and get consumers back on sound financial footing. Is it really a win-win-win solution?(Eskanos & Adler)
August 2, 2004... Almost every day, a call comes into the law offices of Eskanos & Adler of Concord, Calif. with this pitch: We're mortgage brokers (or mortgage originators) and we want to partner with you. In essence, they are asking the firm's collectors to...

Skip Tracers: Keeping One Step Ahead: In the crowded skip-tracing market, vendors are constantly working to stay ahead of the curve. The latest focus is on easy integration and customization, as well as working to provide new sources of information.
August 2, 2004... In the skip-tracing industry, it's all about who can provide the most current data. If a product can't keep pace, there's little chance it will find room in the crowded market. But as more companies join the business, skip-tracing vendors are...

Skip-Tracing Vendors (Partial List).(Calendar)
August 2, 2004... Company Accurint American Research Bureau Inc. Aries Data Corp. Asset Locators Inc. Austin Logistics Chesapeake Credit Solutions Inc. ChoicePoint Inc. DataServe Datalure DebtWatcher Inc. ...

We're Not in Kansas Anymore: The housing bubble is real and it's here, fueled by a mortgage mania that has homebuyers viewing their homes as assets to be collateralized. How will it all end?
August 2, 2004... Oh, yes, there's a housing bubble now. I haven't seen prices rise this high, this fast, since my technology stock funds in early 2000 were going up by double digits everyday. We're now in Bubbleville, in Bubble County, in the land of Bubble....