TransUnion Leads Discussion of New Bankruptcy Reform at 14th Annual Credit Card Collections Conference

TransUnion, a leading global information solutions company, yesterdayday led a general session panel discussion entitled “Gearing up for Bankruptcy Reform – A Unique Industry Perspective” at the 14th Annual Credit Card Collections Conference in ChampionsGate, Florida.

The panel was comprised of industry leaders from Citibank; the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies; Money Management International, a credit counseling company; and a leading bankruptcy law firm. Participants discussed their respective roles in preparing for the bankruptcy reform laws that went into effect today. The panel also addressed new technologies and processes aimed at helping lenders, collection agencies and credit counseling companies more effectively work together in the post-reform environment.

Addressing a crowd of more than 200, panel moderator Mike Rosenthal, director of Debt Management Solutions at TransUnion, initiated the discussion by saying, “some innovative tools have entered the marketplace to assist credit grantors in devising treatment strategies that match an individual consumer’s financial situation. Our panelists today represent industry leaders who are adapting and improving their roles based on this technology and on the needs of both consumers and businesses.”

Earlier this year, TransUnion announced a debt management model, which credit counseling companies can use along with their core services to quickly assess whether consumers exhibit strong indicators for rehabilitation through temporary budget restructuring or a debt management plan. The score also assists lenders in making objective decisions to offer improved concessions, such as lower minimum payments, reduced interest rates or the removal of late penalty fees to those consumers who are most in need.

In addition to the bankruptcy reform discussion, TransUnion shared insights during the conference’s “Collection Technology Showcase” on October 16. Michael Browning, president of TransUnion’s direct marketing agency, Douglas-Danielle, contributed to a panel discussion on Online Collections. TransUnion offers an Online Payments solution that provides collectors with a customized Web site for collecting past-due payments that is cost-effective and less confrontational for consumers than traditional collection methods. Kevin Derbyshire, senior consultant in TransUnion’s Analytic Decision Services group, shared his expertise in a panel discussion on Scoring and Strategy Management. In the scoring arena, TransUnion offers incidence-based models to help collections organizations identify which customers are most likely to pay in order to prioritize work effort and apply the most cost-effective treatment strategies.

For more information, stop by booth 503 at the 14th Annual Credit Card Collections Conference or contact Mike Rosenthal at mrosent@transunion.com or Mike Browning at mbrowning@douglas-danielle.com.