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In the collection industry, specifically the debt-buying business, nobody stirred controversy or changed the landscape like Bill Bartmann did in the heyday of his former company, Commercial Financial Services. For that reason, 10 years after his groundbreaking company closed, we decided to catch up with him.
The story, which starts on page 20, marks a strategic tweak at Collections & Credit Risk. While we will continue writing about the economy, business strategies, risk and asset management, technology, debt buying and more, expect more profiles of people at the forefront of the industry.
In this issue, turn to a story on page 16 about technology and the role it plays in understanding and tracking consumer behavior. We explain that data aggregation can help collection shops better formulate treatment strategies that speak directly to profit and loss statements. For example, if a customer is delinquent on several accounts, such as a home equity line of credit and an auto loan, aggregating data can help the lender decide if it makes fiscal sense for each department to write its own treatment strategy or to create one plan for both accounts.
We'll continue closely tracking technology trends to help you adjust your strategies throughout the economic downturn.
Finally, if you're attending the National Collections & Credit Risk Conference this month, be sure to say "hello" when you see me during the sessions or in the exhibit hall. I'm eager to hear your thoughts about the industry.
I will be available at our booth in the exhibit hall on the first night of the show on Wednesday and during the morning break on Thursday.
If I miss you, as always, please feel free to call me at 312-983-6161 or drop me an e-mail at the address listed below. I'd love to hear your ideas about important stories and the industry in general, as well as your suggestions for upcoming profiles – controversial or not.
