collector mentor announced today that industry veteran Rozanne M. Andersen has joined the publication’s editorial advisory board.

“We are very excited to have Rozanne’s experience and insight on the board,” said Gary Jensen, editor for collector mentor. “Rozanne is a strong supporter of ethical collection practices and we are honored to have her critique each issue prior to reaching the hands of our readers.”

Andersen is chief compliance officer and vice president of government affairs with Ontario Systems based in Muncie, Indiana. Andersen is a licensed attorney with more than 15 years of experience in the credit and collection industry. She is a recognized authority on industry compliance matters and legislative affairs. Prior to joining Ontario Systems, Andersen was with ACA International since 2000, where she held several positions including General Counsel and CEO. She is a graduate of the William Mitchell College of Law.

Andersen will join current editorial advisory board members Bill Brockman, government collection specialist at GE Healthcare; Matthew Campbell, director of operations at Remit Corporation; Ronald S. Canter, Esq., of The Law Offices of Ronald S. Canter; author Michelle Dunn; Carol Freeland, president at Acts Plus; David Glezerman, assistant vice president and bursar at Temple University; Gary Kinne, president of Asset Recovery, Inc.; Bryan Leib, vice president of operations, Leib Solutions; John McNamara, chief marketing officer, LiveVox; Gina McNaughton, partner, The McNaughton Group; industry consultant Debra Schulze; and Matt Twitty, customer care manager at Advantage Travel.

Press Release | June 2, 2011

KALISPELL, MT – June 2, 2011 – Merlin Information Services recently announced the release of its new Verified Place of Employment (VPOE) solution.  The solution, designed specifically for debt collectors, offers a reliable, cost-effective alternative to the processes collectors use to verify employment today. 

Todd Twete, Merlin’s VP of Sales and Marketing said, “Today’s economy is forcing a change in collection practices… more and more debt collectors are relying on place of employment information to contact the debtor, serve legal process, collect on a judgment, or garnish wages.”

Despite the need for places of employment, many debt collectors have been reluctant to partner with an outsourced vendor to obtain high quality, verified results.  There are several factors affecting this decision including a lack of analytics to truly quantify and track internal costs, plus a belief that debt collectors can do the work more effectively and less expensively than an outsourced partner.  

Debt collectors routinely push low-cost, unverified place of employment data to the floor, asking collectors to research phone numbers and make dozens of calls.   Typically, only 5-10% of the results associated with this approach find a debtor’s actual employer.  The success rates are low because sources of unverified place of employment data typically provide a high percentage of incorrect or outdated information, collectors struggle to ask the right questions, and the associated labor and data costs are high.  “Merlin was eager to embrace the challenge to offer an effective improvement to this methodology,” said Twete.

Thirty years of investigative experience and a proprietary process are leveraged to deliver Merlin’s guaranteed, Verified Place of Employment results.  The VPOE process uses numerous data sources, custom systems and automation, plus high volume phone techniques.  Verified results include employer name, address, and phone number.  Results are guaranteed for 30 days.

Each VPOE engagement begins with a “pilot” to benefit both the debt collector and Merlin.  The pilot runs a statistically significant sample of a debt collector’s portfolio through Merlin’s VPOE process.  The Merlin team analyzes the characteristics of the file, calculates a price for each verified result, and identifies any special resource or scheduling requirements.  In addition, the debt collector has an opportunity to evaluate the accuracy and consistency of the pilot’s results and calculate a return on investment. 

“Based on customer feedback, statistics are showing that Merlin’s VPOE solution is improving debt collectors’ ROI,” said Twete.

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To learn more about Merlin’s new Verified Place of Employment (VPOE) or to inquire about running a pilot, please contact Merlin Information Services at 800- 367-6646 or visit www.merlindata.com.

Press Release | January 20, 2011

(Washington, DC) – To help people understand the legal collection process and work responsibly to repay debts or exercise their right to present their case to a judge, the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys (NARCA) provides consumers with “Tips for Responding to a Collection Attorney” NARCA’s consumer tips include:

1. When you receive a letter or phone call, respond.

The matter can’t be resolved if you don’t respond. The attorney wants to work with you – help them by initiating an open dialogue. This is your opportunity to present your viewpoint. Many attorneys have Spanish-speaking or multilingual employees who will be able to help you. Don’t hesitate to ask for this assistance.

2. Keep good records.

Your records are vital to issues of your identity and payment history when discussing a delinquent bill. Keep files of your bank records and other financial records and contracts, history of places lived and worked, and copies of correspondence concerning your debts (including verification that you have paid-off the amount owed in-full). If the amount of the debt is incorrect, you will need to be able to show that you have made payments that were not credited or some other reason why the amount claimed is not what you really owe. Having good records and communicating with the collection attorney are very important to resolve this issue.

3. Be honest about what you can afford.

If you are unable to pay the full amount at once, collection attorneys will work with you to come up with an achievable payment plan. Be sure to agree only to a plan that you can stick with to avoid further collection efforts. Many times collection attorneys will set up debt repayment plans for consumers. A successful plan can help consumers get out of debt.

4. Speak up if the debt is not yours.

This is where good records come in handy. You have the right to request further information if you are contacted about a debt that you do not recognize. If the debt truly is not yours or you are the victim of identity theft, be prepared to explain your situation to the collection attorney. The attorney may want to see a police report if you have filed one. If you have any information as to whose debt it is, share that information with the attorney.

5. If you have a lawyer, have them contact the collection attorney.

Once this step is taken, the collection attorney can only communicate with your attorney, not directly with you. Be sure to give the collection attorney the name, address and phone number of your attorney so they can be in contact.

6. Don’t ignore a summons from a court.

A Court Summons is an official legal document that requires you to either respond to the Court or appear in Court within a specified amount of time. The paperwork with the summons may contain a court date or instructions on what to do if you dispute the claim. If you think you don’t owe the debt, pay close attention to these papers. If you do owe the debt, contact the law firm that filed the case right away; you may be able to arrive at a solution before the case goes to court.

7. Be involved – the outcome is in your hands.

If you do not appear in court and do not contact the attorney about repayment, a judgment may be entered against you. A judgment is a legally binding document from a court of law and efforts will be made to collect the judgment amount from you. Depending on your circumstances and in which state you live, a court judgment can lead to severe consequences including wage garnishment, bank account attachment, and liens on your property. It is important to try and resolve your debt before these actions are taken.

Consumers can help themselves and protect their credit– and their futures – by following these reasonable tips. NARCA’s “Tips for Responding to a Collection Attorney” in English and in Spanish, along with other helpful consumer resources, can be found online at www.narca.org/?2010/3/consumers.html.

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The National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys (NARCA) is a nationwide trade association of debt collection law firms and in‐house counsel of creditors. In addition to federal and state laws and State Bar Association licensing and certification, NARCA’s members are required to adhere to a strict Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. Each attorney employed by a NARCA law firm member is licensed by one or more state’s highest court and is governed by Rules of Professional Conduct that are enforced by a mandatory grievance procedure. Every state has laws and court rules governing legal process and courtroom procedure, to which members are subject from the moment a case is filed until the satisfaction of a subsequent judgment. NARCA members are committed to the fair and ethical treatment of all participants in the debt collection process. www.narca.org

CONTACT: Stephen R. Kay, 301-908-0095 / Stephen@narca.org

For immediate release                         

December 5, 2010

ADEL, IOWA — To increase awareness about the strategic value of learning in organizations, the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) has declared December 6-10, 2010, as “Employee Learning Week.” This is an opportunity for organizations to highlight the important link between developing employees’ skills and achieving organizational results.

ASTD research shows that organizations continue to invest in growing the knowledge and skills of their workforce. “Increasingly, business leaders realize that the most important asset in our knowledge economy is talent, and a skilled workforce is the key to realizing results. We encourage all organizations to demonstrate their commitment to learning by recognizing Employee Learning Week,” says Tony Bingham, ASTD President and CEO.

In support of Employee Learning Week 2010, collector mentor will be giving away 50 complimentary one-year subscriptions to qualified first-time readers. “Regular training and skill development is an important part of having a successful career in this industry,” says Gary Jensen, editor of collector mentor. “The growing skill gap and increased competitiveness in the industry require companies to develop a highly skilled workforce. We want to provide those companies with an opportunity to experience the benefits of having an ongoing educational tool available for their employees.”

Published bimonthly, collector mentor is a quick-read publication dedicated entirely to delivering articles and actionable advice that teaches credit and collection professionals how to increase collection results, enhance productivity, improve teamwork, and become better stewards of the industry.

“It’s designed as a training aid which builds and reinforces key principles and practices that are vital to being successful on the industry frontline,” adds Jensen. “There are more than a dozen ways to include collector mentor in a corporate training strategy.”

One-year digital subscriptions will be offered at a company-level, and subscribers will have the right to internally reproduce and redistribute issues at no additional cost to ensure that each staff member has access to a personal copy. This offer will last until all 50 subscriptions have been awarded, or until December 11, 2010, whichever comes first. For more information about receiving a complimentary subscription, please visit www.collectormentor.com/trial and enter promotional code ELW10.

To learn more about collector mentor’s recognition of Employee Learning Week, contact Gary Jensen at (515) 339-5899.

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For more information, please contact:

Gary Jensen

Editor | collector mentor

Phone: (515) 339-5899

Email: editor@collectormentor.com

Web: www.collectormentor.com

About collector mentor

collector mentoris a bimonthly publication designed to meet the very specific needs of frontline credit and collection professionals. The articles and advice that appear in each issue are carefully developed in order to promote and encourage professionalism in the industry. If you are looking for “tough guy” tactics, this isn’t the publication for you. For more information, visit www.collectormentor.com.

About ASTD

ASTD (American Society for Training & Development) is the world’s largest association dedicated to the training and development field. ASTD’s members come from more than 100 countries and connect locally in 130 U.S. chapters and with 30 international partners. Members work in thousands of organizations of all sizes, in government, as independent consultants, and as suppliers. For more information, visit www.astd.org.

PRESS RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Doug Gregg or Jason Houston
Senior Partner
The Intelitech Group
360-260-9780
elevate@intelitechgroup.com

The Intelitech Group Introduces Elevate!, A New Training System for Collectors

CollectorTalk! is also offered to build interpersonal skills through simulated debt-recovery scenarios

Vancouver, Wash. – November 9, 2010 - The Intelitech Group, a business consulting practice and technology solutions provider for the collection industry, recently announced the launch of a new method to train and interact with collectors.  Elevate! teaches proven principles to collectors, supports and develops collection coaches, and is supported by an evaluation system that ensures collectors apply what they learn.

“Elevate! forms the basis of a complete training process or serves as a compliment to an already established program,” says The Intelitech Group’s Senior Partner Doug Gregg.  “This interactive training system ultimately supports the human side of the equation.”

Elevate! also incorporates CollectorTalk!, an easy-to-use computer-based training tool that builds interpersonal skills through simulated debt-recovery scenarios.  The innovative CollectorTalk! technology ensures that skills learned in the classroom are completely and consistently transferred to job performance—allowing collectors to practice the skills they need to effectively negotiate with debtors.

In the ever-changing collections environment, it is crucial for collectors and coaches to receive the best, most current training possible. The Intelitech Group, along with experts from across the collection industry, evaluated thousands of collection calls and discovered similar skill sets amongst the very best collectors.  Using these core competencies, The Intelitech Group designed interactive online training courses for an entire collection team to learn and adopt.  Four weeks of intensive boot camps are offered to introduce a new collector to the industry or take a veteran to the next level. 

The Advanced Coaching Techniques (ACT) Series allows coaches the opportunity to learn collection skills. They will also be provided with insights into interpersonal communication, theories of motivation, effective monitoring skills, and much more. Coaches from across the country will have the opportunity to interact in meaningful ways and receive the direct attention of mentors from The Intelitech Group.

For more information on Elevate!, visit www.intelitechgroup.com or www.ARMEDnet.com.

About The Intelitech Group
The Intelitech Group provides consulting and technology solutions to help collections agencies achieve optimal results. Leveraging industry expertise and market intelligence with the latest technology innovations, The Intelitech Group brings extensive industry knowledge, insights and practical tools to help agencies delve deep into all facets of the organization to measure, analyze and implement results-oriented solutions.

Contact the Elevate team at 360-260-9780 or elevate@intelitechgroup.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Grand Rapids, MI (November 9, 2010) – The following statistics are provided to the ARM industry courtesy of WebRecon LLC.  

FDCPA and Other Consumer Lawsuit Statistics, October, 16-31, 2010

There were about 503 lawsuits filed under consumer statutes in the second half of October, 2010. Here is an approximate breakdown:

• 462 Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
• 66 Fair Credit Reporting Act
• 34 Truth in Lending Act
• 12 Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Summary:

• Of those cases, there were about 540 unique plaintiffs (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit).
• Of those plaintiffs, about 141 had sued under consumer statutes before.
• Combined, those plaintiffs have filed about 894 lawsuits since 2001
• Actions were filed in 131 different US District Court branches.
• About 464 different collection firms and creditors were sued.

The top courts where lawsuits were filed:

• 31 Lawsuits: Minnesota District Court – Dmn
• 22 Lawsuits: Pennsylvania Eastern District Court – Philadelphia
• 20 Lawsuits: Colorado District Court – Denver
• 18 Lawsuits: Georgia Northern District Court – Atlanta
• 17 Lawsuits: Illinois Northern District Court – Chicago
• 15 Lawsuits: New Jersey District Court – Newark
• 13 Lawsuits: Connecticut District Court – New Haven
• 13 Lawsuits: Indiana Southern District Court – Indianapolis
• 12 Lawsuits: Florida Southern District Court – Fort Lauderdale
• 10 Lawsuits: Texas Western District Court – San Antonio

The most active consumer attorneys were:

• Representing 18 Consumers: Jack Dennis Card, Jr.
• Representing 16 Consumers: Sergei Lemberg
• Representing 15 Consumers: Mark L Vavreck
• Representing 14 Consumers: Brent F. Vullings
• Representing 14 Consumers: James M Ervin
• Representing 12 Consumers: James Marvin Feagle
• Representing 10 Consumers: Benjamin R. Bingham
• Representing 10 Consumers: David Michael Larson
• Representing 9 Consumers: Craig Thor Kimmel
• Representing 8 Consumers: Michael P Mcilree

Statistics Year to Date:

9564 total lawsuits for 2010, including:

• 8953 FDCPA
• 1069 FCRA
• 457 TILA
• 148 TCPA

Number of Unique Plaintiffs: 9139 (including multiple plaintiffs in one suit)

The most active consumer attorneys of the year:

• Representing 316 Consumers: Jack Dennis Card, Jr.
• Representing 294 Consumers: Sergei Lemberg
• Representing 288 Consumers: Brent F. Vullings
• Representing 224 Consumers: David Michael Larson
• Representing 186 Consumers: Donald A. Yarbrough

About WebRecon LLC: Creditors and collection firms use WebRecon’s services to easily segregate predictably litigious consumers from their databases. A significant percentage of consumer litigation is initiated by the same consumers over and over again, and screening them out of the general population can reduce lawsuits by as much as a third.

For more information, please contact:
Jack Gordon, CEO
WebRecon LLC, The FDCPA Litigant Alert
Web: www.WebRecon.com
Email: admin@webrecon.net
Phone: (616) 682-5327

ADEL, IOWA — collector mentor, the credit and collection industry’s premier training aid, announces a new social media strategy today, including a newly designed website aimed at encouraging a deeper interaction with its subscribers.

According to Gary Jensen, editor of collector mentor, the new enhancements are a direct response to the results of a recent subscriber satisfaction survey. “We take subscriber satisfaction very seriously,” he says, “and while the overall survey results greatly exceeded our expectations with positive responses, we felt that there was an opportunity to respond to our subscribers’ needs in these areas.”

NEW WEBSITE
The new site, www.collectormentor.com, will provide visitors with a seamless view of the publication’s online presence by combining the existing product site with an already lively and informative blog component. “The new site was designed specifically for our audience of both frontline collectors and management personnel,” Jensen notes.  “It boasts a more user-friendly interface, which encourages visitor interaction.”

SOCIAL MEDIA INITIATIVES
“Many of our subscribers indicated a desire to interact with collector mentor online,” Jensen says of the survey. “The increased popularity of social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn make it easy for companies to connect with their customers and opening those channels is a natural next step for the publication.”

Subscribers can now interact with collector mentor on the following social media platforms:

•  Twitter – www.twitter.com/collectormentor
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/pages/Adel-IA/collector-mentor/124592224220598
• LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2835309

Jensen adds, “The more interaction we can have with our readers, the more we know about what they want, and we can use that information to build stronger relationships with our subscribers. We expect this new strategy to provide us with the opportunity to connect with our readers in a powerful way.”

For more details on collector mentor, please visit www.collectormentor.com.

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For more information, please contact:

Gary Jensen
Editor | collector mentor
Phone: (515) 339-5899
Email: editor@collectormentor.com
Web: www.collectormentor.com

For immediate release                         
June 21, 2010

collector mentor Teams Up with InsideARM to Deliver Collector Challenge Series
The collector mentor Challenge™ designed to help industry professionals unleash their full potential

ADEL, IOWA — collector mentor, the credit and collection industry’s premier training aid, announced today that it has teamed up with insideARM.com to offer a weekly content series aimed at motivating and inspiring credit and collection professionals.

“The mission of collector mentor is to inspire, motivate, and educate members of the credit and collections industry, and delivering a recurring, simple challenge that supports our mission made The collector mentor Challenge an ideal fit,” said Gary Jensen, editor of collector mentor. “I’m personally very excited to have the opportunity to inject some positive energy into the industry, especially at the frontline level.”

The collector mentor Challenge will explore a variety of topics including careers, personal growth, health, family and friends, and finances. To help readers get the most out of the program collector mentor has also made available two downloadable tools that readers can use to chart their progress and experiences.

“Similar initiatives have worked well in life coaching and business coaching programs, and we wanted to apply that model to the credit and collection industry,” said Jensen “I fully believe that participation in the The collector mentor Challenge will help industry professionals learn more about themselves, and in turn, lead them to greater levels of success and satisfaction in what they do, ultimately helping them close the gap between where they are and where they want to be.”

According to Michael Klozotsky, managing editor at InsideARM.com, “The lion’s share of media coverage on the ARM industry, much of it overtly negative, is aimed at the corporate level.  So it’s easy to forget that the largest population of collection industry professionals is made up of hard working men and women who do their jobs on the front line every day.  A part of insideARM.com’s mission is to bring to light the human aspects of debt collection that make it an ordinary American job.  We are pleased to partner with collector mentor on this content series specifically developed for the people whose work drives this industry.”

For more details on The collector mentor Challenge, please visit www.collectormentor.com/thechallenge and http://www.insidearm.com/go/collector-challenge.

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 For more information, please contact:

Gary Jensen
Editor | collector mentor
Phone: (515) 339-5899
Email: editor@collectormentor.com
Web: www.collectormentor.com

Michael Klozotsky
Managing Editor | InsideARM.com
Phone: (240) 499-3836
Email: mklozotsky@kaulkin.com
Web: www.insideARM.com

Victoria, British Columbia February 5th 2010 – Comtech Systems Inc. announced today that it has received the resignation of chief executive officer H. Neal Cropper on Monday, February 1st , a position he has held since 2008. Concurrently, president Fritz Schulze will assume the position of president and acting CEO; all changes are effective immediately.

“Neal has been an excellent member of the Comtech team, investing his valuable time, talent, passion and wisdom to help make Comtech successful,” said Fritz Schulze, Comtech’s President and Owner.

“Comtech is in excellent shape with significant momentum due in large part to Mr Cropper’s leadership,” said Schulze. “We have a clear strategy that has us well positioned for future growth.”

“I know this is difficult news for everyone associated with Comtech, but we have strong leaders driving our business, and a strong team of employees driving performance,” Schulze said “We will continue to strive for excellence in both our product and services and maintain the direction and vision that is the driving force behind Comtech’s present and future success.”

About Comtech Systems:

Comtech Systems Inc is a technology solutions provider to the Accounts Receivable Industry. Comtech’s flagship product Collect! Is used by over 1200 organizations in 38 countries to power their AR efforts

Contact:
For further information in regards to Comtech Systems Inc.
North America call Toll Free 1-800-661-6722
International dial 1-250-391-0466
email info@collect.org
Or visit http://www.collect.org/

New software solution improves collections and provides intelligent tools to make better business decisions

(Muncie, IN. – December 15, 2009) – Ontario Systems, a leading provider of accounts receivable and revenue cycle management solutions for collection and health care industries, announces the introduction of Collect Savvy, a new software solution designed for better debt collection management. With a focus on reducing and controlling costs while making collections more strategic, Collect Savvy provides collection agencies the flexibility and intelligence needed to make agile decisions in an ever-changing industry.

From contact management to month-end processes, Collect Savvy automates everything based on the agencies needs and objectives. The software’s variety of new features is highlighted with Strategy Commander, which allows users to select a specific strategy for each account or group of accounts and then instructs the system to automatically follow the rules of the strategy. The system can estimate the cost of each action, estimate the return, and present the user with pinpoint ROI. In addition to Strategy Commander, Collect Savvy offers the Champion/Challenger feature, which enables users to see which strategies are meeting goals and which are not so that the strategy can be adjusted accordingly.

“With declining margins and decreasing liquidation, combined with ever-changing technology and regulations, collection agencies are looking for a way to keep pace in a brutal market,” said Tony Resize, CEO, Ontario Systems. “Collect Savvy not only offers users improved collections, but the intelligent tools it takes to make better business decisions. The software enables agencies to become smarter, more agile, and more profitable, all with no money spent in up-front capital expense.”

With the incorporation of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform into Ontario Systems’ software suite early this year, Collect Savvy users will improve their overall cash flow and realize cost reductions and operational efficiencies. In addition, because of the wide familiarity with Microsoft products, training and implementation become faster and easier. Aiding in the transition to Collect Savvy, the software also offers a Migration Navigator feature, which enables users of previous Ontario software versions like FACS, Artiva, or competitive software the ability of migrating to Collect Savvy with minimal effort or downtime.

“After using FACS for nearly twenty years, our agency has been blown away with the features and functionality of Collect Savvy – it’s basically night and day as far as ease-of-use,” said Nate Olson, Vice President of Operations, Illinois Collection Service, a customer who has been testing Collect Savvy through Ontario’s Technology Adoption Program (TAP) the last three months. “The feature-driven software, logical user-interface and support from Ontario make Collect Savvy very easy to use – essentially taking all of the programming associated with new software out of the picture. Ontario continues to design tools that deal with the issues we are all facing out in the market.”

Other significant features include:

· Best Data – ensures users have most accurate and effective demographi information available

· Data Services Waterfall – allows users to control what data sources they use when they pull them

· Matching – lets agencies take advantage of data services they have already purchased and share the data across accounts

· Business Intelligence – provides detailed reporting capabilities with logical, real-time dashboards that highlight key performance indicators

SmartTouch Financial – gives users automated period-end processing to handle report balancing, payment records and the seamlessly send client statements electronically.

Availability:

Collect Savvy is available immediately and can be deployed on-premise or as a Software-as-a-Service (Seas). For more information about Collect Savvy, visit www.ontariosystems.com.

About Ontario Systems:
Founded in 1980, Ontario Systems, LLC, is a leading provider of revenue cycle and collection management solutions for the health care and accounts receivable management industries. The company’s customers are among the nation’s top 100 hospitals and health centers. More than 55,000 representatives in more than 500 locations – including nine of the top 10 U.S. collections firms – use Ontario Systems software and services. More information, call 800-283-3227 or visit www.ontariosystems.com.