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1. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA): Some Quick Tips to Avoid Problems Collecting in Today's Troubled Economy
   By Steven A. Harms
   The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a key federal law which applies to debt collections. Since it is a federal law, it is applicable in all 50 states. However, there are two primary provisions: it only applies to consumer collections, not commercial collections and the law only applies to third party debt collectors, not individuals or businesses collecting their own debts. Some credit grantors believe that it is cost effective if they set up an internal collection agency within their company. . . . keep reading
   
   
2. The Art of Negotiation: Collecting Via the Telephone
   By Joseph M. Jackson, CCE
   All the principles of successful negotiating apply equally for both in-person and telephone negotiations. The telephone is a delicate tool to use in r . . . keep reading
   
   
3. Requirements for Debt Collection in the United States
   By Robert M. Tharnish
   The following article originally appeared in the April 2010 issue of ABC-Amega's free client newsleter, "Credit-to-Cash Advisor". Collecting a cre . . . keep reading
   
   
4. The Preventive Management System of Collections
   "If you can identify the specific collector skill performance levels prior to the end results, you can change the end results before they occur," says . . . keep reading
   
   
5. Training Collectors to Take a Customer-Service Approach
   "When I first started out in collections, we were taught to have a "tough guy" attitude," recalls one veteran collector. "The delinquent customer was a deadbeat, and whether the person was one month or six months late, we came down hard. It wasn't uncommon to say 'I need you to pay your past-due amount today or I'll start legal proceedings and mean it!" But today, it's different.
   • Important factors (beyond the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) why collectors today must have a different attitude when collecting than in years past. In this article you'll learn:
   • Several good reasons to treat your overdue accounts with a light touch
   • Specific training ideas to help collection staff make the transition from "old school" to a less confrontational approach
   . . . keep reading
   
   
6. Regulating Commercial Debt Collection
   By Loral Narayanan, May 26, 2010
   Clients and prospects often ask us about ABC-Amega's adherence to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Until we explain further, they're surprised when we tell them that we aren't regulated by the FDCPA. It isn't that ABC-Amega takes a cavalier attitude concerning legislation geared toward maintaining high standards within the collections industry. Quite the contrary, our core values center around the kinds of practices such legislation promotes. . . . keep reading
   
   
7. Nine Building Blocks to a Successful Negotiation
   Richard Macias
   1. Leverage Both sides must want something or else there is no point to be negotiated. Usually one side needs the bargain more than the other. The difference in this wants/needs equation is leverage. You may not have leverage, but you don't need to be at a disadvantage. The key is in your preparation. . . . keep reading
   
   
8. Commercial Collection Agency Association Members Continue to Report a Decline in B2B Accounts For Collection
   October 28, 2010
   In the third quarter of 2010, Commercial Collection Agency Association (CCAA) members reported a decline in the dollar amount of B2B accounts they received for collection of 16.5%, when the third quarter of 2010 is compared to the same quarter in 2009. . . . keep reading
   
   
9. Developing a Negotiating "Attitude"
   A study at Vanderbilt University's Graduate School of Management revealed that agreeable and cooperative people fare poorly in negotiations. The study . . . keep reading
   
   
10. Managing an Uncooperative Account - Ten Common Mistakes You'll Want to Avoid
    Five years into a generally satisfactory relationship with one customer, the payments flow began to slow down for a credit manager we spoke with a whi . . . keep reading
    
    
11. Collection Letters Get Through
    What are your chances of reaching a debtor on the phone first try? Just about nil, according to Joseph Volpe, president of Credit America, Inc. (Phila . . . keep reading
    
    
12. Effective Collection Practices
    by Darrel Hewson
    In today's difficult business environment, having an effective collection strategy in place is imperative to having a short DSO and healthy cash fl ow. Building this foundation is the fundamental challenge many companies are faced with as there are multiple facets to building a strong and robust collection strategy. These range from credit controls, contact matrices, dispute management processes, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to policies covering the nature and process of escalating payment demands. . . . keep reading
    
    
13. Is this a Consumer Debt or a Business Debt?
    James Moore purchased computer equipment from ABC Electronics for the grocery store he had operated for almost his entire life. Repeated illnesses forced him to close the store, however, and he was unable to make payments and finally defaulted. ABC wrote him three letters and then referred the matter to a collection agency. The agency called Moore at his place of business several times, and each time they got a recorded message. Then, after a search at the county clerk's office turned up Moore's home address, the agency began placing calls to his home. After the fourth call, Moore consulted an attorney and instituted a suit against the agency for violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Moore charged that the telephone calls constituted an abuse of debt collection practices and that since he was an individual doing business as a trade name, he should be covered under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The agency argued that Moore was a business debtor, and that therefore the transaction was not a consumer transaction and should not be covered under the FDCPA. Who is right? . . . keep reading
    
    
14. Sale's Roles in Collections
    "You can involve the sales force in collections in various ways, depending on how serious your collection problems are," contends the treasurer of one . . . keep reading
    
    
15. Aggressive Collections Net Impressive Results
    Less than two accounts per thousand ever become bad debts at Thermo-Industries, Inc. (Raleigh, North Carolina), and Credit Manager John Clark, CCE, an . . . keep reading
    
    
16. Developing an Effective Collection Team
    By Emil Hartleb
    Putting together an effective collection team is an ongoing process requiring constant attention. The credit executive needs to continue to pay attent . . . keep reading
    
    
17. Women and Evaporating Credit Histories
    Each year, some women still find themselves being discriminated against when seeking credit under their own names. There are two federal laws in place . . . keep reading
    
    
18. 13 Strategies to Speed up Collections... Before the Money is Due
    Mar-30-2010, By Loral A. Narayanan
    Everyone doing business knows that a sale isn't a sale until the cash is in your bank account. Getting it there when you need it, however, can be a real challenge. Most companies wait until an invoice is past due before taking action. But why not be pro active? Here are some strategies you can use before the account is due, that can help you speed up your collections. . . . keep reading
    
    
19. Credit Reporting and Bankruptcy: Is Your Post-Discharge Credit Reporting Inviting Trouble?
    November 15, 2010, By Diane P. Furr & Lisa Sumner
    In difficult economic times, debtors' attorneys closely review credit reports looking for potential legal claims against creditors. Long after a debtor has been discharged from bankruptcy, creditors can find themselves defending claims of improper credit reporting. A recent case from the Eastern District of North Carolina illustrates the trouble facing creditors who furnish incorrect reports of discharged debt. See In re Adams (Bankr. E.D.N.C. 2010). . . . keep reading
    
    
20. Knowing When to Say When: 25 Signs You Should Place an Account For Collection
    There is no simple answer to when an account should be placed for collection, but the more of the following statements that are true, the more appropriate it is to forward the account quickly to a third party... . . . keep reading
    
    

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