Collections & Credit Risk articles from October 2005

Collections & Credit Risk archives from October 2005

CCC Conference Time: New Orleans on My Mind.(Credit Card Collections)
October 1, 2005... Just three years ago we were getting ready for the 11th annual Credit Card Collections conference, being held in New Orleans. And 18 months ago we were back again for our 8th National Collections & Credit Risk conference. How much we all...

Letters To The Editor.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... Wait-and-See To the Editor: Most of our portfolios are sub-prime loans, so we have a lot of Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 accounts. We are just waiting to see how each state is going to handle the new laws, also how they are going to...

Survey Results.(for accounting services)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Here's how visitors to Credit & Collections World, Collections & Credit Risk's website, voted on this month's Instant Survey: Has your firm made, or is it planning to make, any changes in the way it operates in anticipation of the...

Bankruptcy Concerns for Hurricane Victims.
October 1, 2005... Hurricane Katrina is certain to cause a spurt of bankruptcy filings by storm victims - who are now taking shelter in cities throughout the nation as they hope to rebuild their lives. A sweeping change in U.S. bankruptcy laws, for them, is...

What's New.
October 1, 2005... Nothing But Blue Sky Trading Blue Sky Trading, a company created to offer bad-debt buyers and sellers an online trading forum, opened and simultaneously brought a debt portfolio to market. Blue Sky will handle all types of portfolios -...

Events Calendar.(calendar)(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... Oct. 8-11 Annual Conference Risk Management Association WASHINGTON, D.C. www.rmahq.org Oct. 16-18 Credit Card Collections Conference Collections & Credit Risk & SourceMedia ORLANDO, FLA. www.tmconferences.com ...

Encore Buys Ascension.(acquisitions and appointments)
October 1, 2005... Encore Capital Group Inc., an accounts receivable management firm, acquired Ascension Capital Group Ltd., a provider of bankruptcy services to the finance industry, for $22 million. * JP Morgan Chase purchased the private-label Sears credit...

High Stakes For Data Security: Collectors face increasingly stringent client demands for a secure data environment. What's the cost if they do - and if they don't?
October 1, 2005... When CardSystems Solutions revealed this summer that it exposed 40 million accounts to hackers, the bombshell trumped a series of well-publicized security breaches this year and spurred legislators to action. A stunning example of how...

Welcome.(for debt collection seminar)
October 1, 2005... We are delighted to welcome you - attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, and speakers - to the 14th Annual Credit Card Collections Conference, co-sponsored by Collections & Credit Risk, our Web site, CreditAndCollectionsWorld.com, our twice-weekly...

Exhibitors.
October 1, 2005... AACA 818 Accelerated Data Systems 206 Account Solutions Group 410 Adeptra 506 Advanced Call Center Technologies 613 American...

Working in World of Giants: Bank of America's multibillion-dollar move to buy MBNA Corp. is the latest in a series of deals creating mammoth credit card issuers. How are collections agencies faring in the consolidation aftermath?
October 1, 2005... When two credit card companies become one, a la Bank of America's planned $35 billion marriage to MBNA Corp., the theory holds that collections agencies are paralyzed with fear. The giant credit card issuer, for many, is the ogre atop the...

Credit Central - or Not?: As companies strive to cut costs and automate their credit functions, centralized operations increasingly are the norm. When does another approach make sense? And if change is inevitable, what's the best way to prepare?
October 1, 2005... Talk to most credit experts these days, and they'll tell you that a centralized credit structure is the only way to go. Indeed, in a recent study by the Credit Research Foundation, entitled "Future Trends in Business Credit & Receivable...

Credit Operations.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Although many firms in the Credit Research Foundation survey report already having a centralized credit function, the more accounts a firm has, the less likely it is to be centralized now. Only 57% of the large firms report being centralized...

The UK Debt Scene: With record levels of consumer debt and buyers bidding up prices, what's the outlook for debt sales in the United Kingdom?
October 1, 2005... Consumer credit outstanding is at an all-time high. Interest rates are historically low and inflation is the lowest it's been in at least two generations. More financial institutions are including portfolio sales in their debt recovery...

Targeting Collections: Thanks to strategic acquisitions in the past two years, Fair Isaac now offers an array of integrated analytical and software products for the collections industry. What challenges lie ahead?
October 1, 2005... Fair Isaac Corp., best known for its FICO credit rating scoring system, lately turned its focus to the world of collections. Now, the company says, the pieces are in place to provide a mix of analytics, software and services to companies that...

The Discount Debate: With more than 44 million uninsured Americans, many hospitals are considering discounting bills for patients with little or no coverage. What new tools are helping?
October 1, 2005... When Tri-City Medical Center discovered its recovery rates fell below national averages, Ondrea Labella, director of patient business services, traced the problem to the hospital's rising number of self-pay patients - individuals with partial...

Law Lists Adapt to the Internet Age: Half a dozen years ago observers wondered if these attorney referral services were still relevant in the Internet Age. Yet they seem to be alive and well. How have they adapted?
October 1, 2005... With the advent of the Internet, pundits predicted an impending end to the law lists. Industry insiders reasoned that attorneys would no longer pay to be listed in the directories when they could set up Web sites that any collections agency...

The Law Lists.(Brief Article)(Directory)
October 1, 2005... Company Location Web site The American Lawyers Quarterly Cleveland www.alqlist.com Clearing House Quarterly Gainesville, Fla. www.agencycollect.com The Columbia...

QAs Attorney Services: Leading industry product and services providers discuss attorney service strategies and best practices.(Interview)
October 1, 2005... Q: What should an agency consider when choosing an attorney service? Richard A. Curtin, AACA: An agency seeking a national network should first seek a network that can cover all jurisdictions with experienced lawyers dedicated to...

D&B Posts Strong Results.
October 1, 2005... Despite facing some difficulties with the international side of its business, D&B Corp., the financial information provider formerly known as Dun & Bradstreet, has had a strong year so far, thanks in part to growth in the company's risk...