CUNA Collections & Bankruptcy School: Advanced
Topics & Objectives

Please note that the Topics/Objectives listed below are subject to change.

The Economy & How it Impacts the Collection Department

• Analyze the current economic trends driving the surge in credit union loan delinquency
• Review the factors that led us to the current credit crisis and how the Federal Reserve is helping lending institutions
• Discuss the proposed government plans to help stem the tide of mortgage defaults and foreclosures
• Explore the value of using taxpayer money to buy up defaulting loans from financial institutions

Financial Counseling Techniques for Collection Staff

• Explore the basic skills and steps in financial counseling
• Discuss what challenges collections staff will encounter while counseling members
• Establish the benefits of using financial counseling techniques in the collection process

Best Practices Roundtable Discussions

• Review the collection tools that your peers are using in their collection departments
• Discuss the current challenges that exist in collection practices today

Collection Reports, Policies & Procedures

• Discuss with peers the reports they generate and the statistics they consider meaningful
• Explore how tracking the proper data can improve your delinquency ratios
• Determine methods to analyze the charge-off causes in your credit union for proper policy development
• Compare your credit and collection policies to those of fellow attendees for idea generation
• Strategize a dynamic approach to policy and procedure development to ensure team member buy-in and proper adherence

Reaffirmations

• Discuss why reaffirmations are important
• Establish what tools your contract and the law provide your credit union to obtain a reaffirmation
• Learn what your options are if the debtor doesn’t reaffirm
• Explore how to document reaffirmations

Mortgage Crisis & Bankruptcy

• Explore what options the bankruptcy law provides debtors who cannot pay their mortgage
• Identify what the protection bankruptcy law gives creditors when secured by real property
• Gain a better understanding of how the automatic stay affects foreclosure
• Learn how to apply payments made during Chapter 13 cases

Relationships With Third Party Collectors

• Learn what the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act says about third party collectors
• Understand how to avoid or resolve disputes that often arise with third party collectors
• Review your credit union’s liability for actions of third party collectors
• Learn what the "due diligence" requirements are that NCUA imposes on relationships with third party collectors

Fair Credit Reporting Act

• Establish what your credit union must do before it files a negative credit report
• Discuss how to report bankrupt accounts
• Determine when your credit union has a duty to resolve disputed reports

Managing Stress & the Role of Organizational Skills

• Identify the stressors in your work and personal life
• Review workplace and life changes that can reduce stress and increase effectiveness
• Understand the physical manifestations of stress and how to recognize them
• Discover better ways to organize your work space for stress reduction and improved efficiency
• Work through exercises that will identify how you organize your surroundings