On September 24, 2018 the Department of Education’s (ED) announced the completion of Phase I of its Next Generation Financial Services Environment (NextGen or Solicitation) and listed those firms selected to move forward to bid on Phase II. insideARM wrote about this here. The following firms were selected to bid on the components covering Business Process Operations:

• Edfinancial Services LLC
• General Dynamics Information Technology Inc (GDIT)
• Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA)
• Nelnet Diversified Solutions, LLC
• Oklahoma Student Loan Authority (OSLA)
• Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)
• Teleperformance
• Trellis Company
• Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority (UHEAA)

The announcement also included some material changes to the scope of the Soliciation, which has spawned yet another round (I have dubbed this Chapter 5) of protests regarding an ED Solicitation for federal student loan servicing.

Here is the brief history that describes how we got to Chapter 5

What began in 2009 as a 5-year contract for 17 large (unrestricted) and five small debt collection companies became a contract in 2014 for 11 small companies and a delay for the large firm awards. Eventually, in December 2016 seven large companies received awards, which launched dozens of protests from those who were left out, followed by a re-do, a whittling down to just 2 large companies, then more protests, and then… nothing. No large company awards at all. The whole thing was cancelled. ED’s justification for cancelling was:

“The solicitation will be cancelled due to a substantial change in the requirements to perform collection and administrative resolution activities on defaulted Federal student loan debts. In the future, ED plans to significantly enhance its engagement at the 90-day delinquency mark in an effort to help borrowers more effectively manage their Federal student loan debt. ED expects these enhanced outreach efforts to reduce the volume of borrowers that default, improve customer service to delinquent borrowers, and lower overall delinquency levels.”

(A recap with additional detail on the first four chapters is here.)

So, this is where the current NextGen Solicitation comes in. Those who will be on this contract will be the ones to implement the “enhanced servicing” strategies that are meant to reduce defaults.

As for the genesis of NextGen, in June 2017 Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the hiring of Dr. A. Wayne Johnson as Chief Operating Officer of the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), and said he would be in charge of modernizing the agency. Sixty days later, FSA announced a “Next Generation” plan that would drastically streamline systems and processes, and improve borrower service. It was unclear at the time exactly where defaulted accounts would fit in the realm of NextGen, but a diagram released in December 2017 (and revised in February 2018) did include “Default Servicing” and “Recovery” modules (though few details were released). The diagram did note the existence of “PCAs” in this stage.

Five firms submit GAO protests

During the first week of October 2018, FMS Investment Corp. (FMS) and Continental Service Group (ConServe) filed protests with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding the terms of the Federal Student Aid (FSA) NextGen procurement. Their claim is that ED has unfairly changed the nature of the Solicitation, and excluded Private Collection Agencies (PCAs) from the ability to compete. insideARM wrote about this protest on October 11, 2018.

The following firms filed GAO Protests as of today:

• FMS, filed 10/9/18
• ConServe, filed 10/9/18
• TPUSA, Inc. (Teleperformance), filed 10/26/18
• Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri (MOHELA), filed 10/31/18
• Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), filed 10/29/18

On October 26, 2018 GAO denied ED’s motion to dismiss the protest filed by FMS and ConServe and directed the government to produce the record to the protestors by November 8, 2018. As of this writing, none of the outcomes of these protests have been decided.

It’s not terribly surprising that FMS and ConServe filed protests, as they were left out of Phase I because the scope of the procurement did not include services for loans in default, yet the revised procurement does include these services… and, only those selected in Phase I are eligible to participate in Phase II.

What is interesting is that three of the protests now filed are by firms that were selected in Phase I. They’ve got a beef with the change in scope too.

The fairly heavily redacted MOHELA protest makes these claims:

• The RFP seeks “Transitional Core Processing and Related Support Activities” (also known as Component D) for federal student aid within the context of the Agency’s overarching two-phase procurement. This protest contests ED’s attempt to move significant services to the RFP in Phase Il where those services had been included in a different component under Phase I.
• ED’s new procurement approach is against the law because it attempts to acquire a new loan servicing environment together with the actual loan servicing for its entire current portfolio of over 37 million student loan accounts from a single entity; whereas, the FY 2019 Appropriations Act only permits the ED to acquire a new loan servicing environment where it “provides for the participation of multiple student loan servicers that contract directly with the Department of Education.”
• In response to the Phase I Solicitation, MOHELA submitted a proposal as a prime contractor under Components E and F, which were described in the Phase I Solicitation as multiple-award procurements encompassing “all” business process operations, and MOHELA was included among the offerors selected to participate in the Phase II solicitation for Components E and F (No. 91003118R0024). Significantly, because MOHELA had no basis to expect that business process operations were included in Component D, MOHELA did not submit a response to Component D under the Phase I Solicitation.
• When ED issued the Phase II Solicitation for Component D on September 24, 2018, it modified the requirements to add business process operations, including contact center support, student aid back-office processing and print/mail services, which scope had been removed from the solicitation for Components E and F. Under the Phase II RFP, all of these added requirements are to be acquired together with the new loan servicing environment for current borrowers under Component D via a single contract award.
• Although some of those services added to Component D are described as “transitional,” the anticipated contract will have a ten-year term and there is no defined milestone to transfer servicing of the student loan accounts. Moreover, despite ED’s movement of substantial services from Components E and F, which has increased the estimated value of the Component D contract by [redacted] in the first year alone and by [redacted] if the full ten-year term is carried out, the RFP limits the competition to the four offerors selected in Phase I for Component D.
• While ED may contend that awarding a single system, single servicer contract under Component D of Phase II will be more administratively convenient than awarding multiple contracts under Component F of Phase II, or that the loan servicers can participate by teaming or subcontracting with the Component D finalists, such arguments do not justify bundling the requirements.

MOHELA is requesting that the GAO require ED to remove business process operations from Component D of the Phase II RFP and proceed with Phase II as originally contemplated, or alternatively, require that ED cancel the current Phase II RFP and issue a new solicitation that provides for multiple loan servicers and accurately reflects ED’s needs.

New protest also filed at the Court of Federal Claims

Remember the Court of Federal Claims? We spent a lot of time there during the first four chapters of this story. And, we’re back there again.

On November 2, 2018, Navient filed a protest at the Court of Federal Claims against Phase II of the Next Gen procurement. They claim that the requirements changed significantly to the point of completely overturning their bid areas.

Here’s what they claim in their also pretty heavily redacted complaint:

• When issued, the NextGen RFP contained nine discrete components, and indicated that integration among the components was a key concern for ED. And, ED didn’t mention or reserve the right to cancel or otherwise materially modify individual components prior to the award.
• In late August 2018, after Phase I proposals were due but before the selection announcement, ED modified the procurement and cancelled components A, B and H, which were significant portions of the solicitation.
• These changes were so material to the scope of work that ED should have been required to cancel the RFP and issue a new one reflecting the revised requirements, or alternatively, it should have amended the RFP and permitted submission of new Phase I proposals.
• ED also materially altered the terms and scope of the solicitation by changing requirements for component D. In Phase I, components E and F included “Solution 3.0 business process operations” and “Solicitation 2.0 business process operations.” Component D included “Solution 2.0 (core processing, related middleware, and rules engine).” On September 24, 2018 ED issued the component D RFP for Phase II which includes substantial loan servicing business operations services, in sharp contrast to the scope set forth in the Phase I solicitation.
• Navient is at a competitive disadvantage by being required to bid based on unduly restrictive requirements that do not represent ED’s needs as they have now become known.

Navient is requesting permanent injunctive relief requiring ED to cancel or amend the solicitation and permit proposals from new offerors for Phase I, as well as reimbursement of bid and proposal costs and reasonable attorney’s fees as damages.

MUNCIE, Ind. — Ontario Systems, a leading provider of enterprise revenue cycle management software to the healthcare, accounts receivable management, and government markets, announced today five of its Artiva RMTM clients placed within the top seven Department of Education (ED) debt collection contractors in a recent release of liquidation rankings.

The performance data, which was published in an article by insideARM, is the first to be released in more than five years. According to the article, insideARM said sources shared that ED was set to begin measuring agencies against each other starting on October 1, 2018. Additionally, ED will begin to rank agencies based on a number of criteria, not just liquidations.

Among Ontario Systems’ ED contractor clients on the list are:

• Action Financial Services
• Central Research
• Coast Professional
• Credit Adjustments

“We are extremely sensitive to the nuances of the Department of Education contract for our business partners,” said Don Siler, Senior Director of Operations at Ontario Systems. “We strive to deliver a version of the Artiva RM software application that meets our ED clients’ needs and helps them successfully service those accounts. We are proud to see our clients atop the liquidation rankings and congratulate them on their success.”

“The Artiva RM product with the Student Loan functionality has been a game changer for us,” said Becky Dillon, CEO of Action Financial Services. “Knowing that Ontario Systems maintains its products to the requirements of the ED, it allows us to stay focused on the operational demands of the ED. I can’t imagine working on this portfolio without Ontario’s Artiva platform.”

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About Ontario Systems

Ontario Systems Ontario Systems is a leading provider of enterprise revenue cycle management software to the healthcare, accounts receivable management, and government markets. Established in 1980 and headquartered in Muncie, Ind., Ontario Systems offers a full portfolio of leading software platforms, including Artiva RMTM, Artiva HCxTM, Contact Savvy®, and RevQ®. Ontario Systems’ industry-leading customers include 5 of the 15 largest hospital networks who actively manage over $40 billion in receivables collectively, as well as 8 of the 10 largest ARM companies and more than a hundred federal, state and municipal government clients in the U.S.

To learn more about Ontario Systems, visit OntarioSystems.com or email info@ontariosystems.com.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — LiveVox Inc., a leading provider of cloud contact center solutions, announced that LiveVox General Counsel, Mark Mallah, and Strategic Product Director, Paul McGee, will join ARM industry leaders at insideARM’s 2018 Fall CRC Innovation Council Meeting to provide insights into the latest regulatory developments and innovation trends driving collections strategies. At the event, attendees participate in a series of collaborative discussions on various industry hot topics to share different perspectives and approaches on how to drive successful engagement.

On the event, Paul McGee, Strategic Director of Product, LiveVox states, “I am excited to join industry leaders to discuss the latest regulatory developments and technology trends shaping collections strategies for today’s digital consumer. In this era of digital transformation, it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest strategies and innovations driving successful engagement. I look forward to participating in this insightful event hosted by insideARM.”

To learn more about LiveVox, please visit its website.

About the event:

• EVENT: Fall 2018 CRC Innovation Council Meeting
• DATE: November 14th–15th, 2018
• LOCATION: Arlington, VA

About LiveVox, Inc.

LiveVox is a leading provider of enterprise cloud contact center solutions, managing more than 12+ billion interactions a year across a multichannel environment. With over 15 years of pure cloud expertise, we empower contact center leaders to drive effective engagement strategies on the consumer’s channel of choice. Our leading-edge risk mitigation and security capabilities help clients quickly adapt to a changing business environment. With new features released quarterly, LiveVox remains at the forefront of cloud contact center innovation. Supported by over 450 employees and rapidly growing, we are headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Atlanta, Bangalore, and Colombia. To learn more, visit LiveVox.com or email us at Info@LiveVox.com.

PHOENIX, Nov. 14, 2018 — BillingTree, the payment problem solvers, today announced the expanded integration of text based billing and payments within the CareView and Payrazr Platforms, rebranding the offering ‘BillingTree SMS.’ The mobile billing solution now available as part of the BillingTree CareView and Payrazr platforms can also be adopted as a stand-alone service. It enables accounts receivables management agencies, healthcare providers, financial institutions and other billers to communicate directly with consumers via their smartphones and facilitates fast, frictionless payments on the same channel.

BillingTree SMS builds on a previous offering expanding this ultra-low effort channel for consumers to get billed and make payments. Once a consumer account is established, text messages can be sent directly to their mobile device and payment can be authorized easily via two-factor authentication. No card present is required, and no app needs to be installed on the mobile device – upon receiving a text request the customer simply follows the prompts for a payment to be executed. The user immediately receives confirmation with the transaction details. In addition to increasing payment volumes and reducing Days Sales Outstanding (DSOs), billers also realize direct cost savings. The paperless solution reduces money spent on manual mail paper & postage plus time taken to manage.

A 6-month free trial of the BillingTree SMS service is available for current and new clients using BillingTree for merchant services. Terms and Conditions apply, offer expires December 31, 2018. To learn more visit: https://start.mybillingtree.com/acton/media/15831/billingtree-sms—free-trial-offer

“Text based billing and payments have been around for quite some time, with consumer adoption just recently exploding. When it comes to collecting on outstanding balances, consumer convenience is key. Our experience finds 80% of consumers receiving a text-pay notification settle their bill, and 65% pay on the first message,” said Russ Palay, Director of Product at BillingTree. “With seamless integrations now native within CareView and Payrazr, the new BillingTree SMS is the most convenient channel for both the billers and consumers.”

A complimentary webinar and demonstration of BillingTree SMS is scheduled for December 6 at 1:00 pm ET. The session will include a discussion on SMS best practices, compliance and use cases. To register visit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5480681028789404417

About BillingTree
BillingTree is the leading provider of integrated payments solutions to the Healthcare, ARM, Property Management, B2B, and Financial Services industry verticals. Through its technology-enabled suite of products and services, BillingTree enables organizations to increase efficiency and decrease the costs of payment processing while adhering to compliance regulations. Leveraging more than a decade of market experience, BillingTree is dedicated to growing payments with technology through an integrated omni-channel offering, suite of proprietary products and value-added services, and a company-wide focus on delivering extraordinary customer service.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — LiveVox Inc., a leading provider of cloud contact center solutions, announced that LiveVox General Counsel, Mark Mallah, will join William Maxson of the Federal Trade Commission, Melissa Bateman Fitzgerald of Gryphon Networks, and Brad Andreozzi of Drinker Biddle, to provide insight into the latest regulatory trends and best practices for mitigating risk in today’s digital environment. The panel takes place Wednesday, November 14th at a half-day event hosted by Drinker Biddle Law Firm in Washington D.C.

The panel will discuss:

• Latest TCPA and Do-Not-Call developments impacting outreach
• Risk considerations when considering new channel engagement strategies
• Best practices for fortifying risk exposure in 2019

On the event, Mark Mallah, General Counsel, LiveVox states, “I am excited to be participating in this educational event hosted by Drinker Biddle. As the regulatory and business environment continue to evolve, it is imperative that businesses stay on top of the latest legal developments and compliance strategies. I look forward to sharing some of LiveVox’s TCPA experiences gathered during the last several years, which I hope will be helpful to attendees.”

To learn more about LiveVox,’s TCPA risk-mitigation solutions and other comprehensive compliance tools, click here.

About the event:

• EVENT: An Ounce of Prevention: Best Practices for Mitigating Risk
• DATE/TIME: Wednesday, Nov. 14th, 2018 at 3:15pm ET
• LOCATION: The TCPA in 2018: There and Back Again, a Drinker Biddle Event
• Registration: HERE.
• PANELISTS:
• William Maxson, Federal Trade Commission
• Melissa Bateman Fitzgerald, Gryphon Networks
• Brad Andreozzi, Drinker Biddle
• Mark Mallah, LiveVox, Inc.

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About LiveVox, Inc.

LiveVox is a leading provider of enterprise cloud contact center solutions, managing more than 9+ billion interactions a year across a multichannel environment. With over 15 years of pure cloud expertise, we empower contact center leaders to drive effective engagement strategies on the consumer’s channel of choice. Our leading-edge risk mitigation and security capabilities help clients quickly adapt to a changing business environment. With new features released quarterly, LiveVox remains at the forefront of cloud contact center innovation. Supported by over 450 employees and rapidly growing, we are headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Atlanta, Bangalore, and Colombia. To learn more, visit LiveVox.com or email us at Info@LiveVox.com.

I recently attended the TransUnion Third Party Conference in San Diego, hosted by Peter Ghiselli and team. It was a content-rich and highly engaging event.  Some of the topics covered included segmentation, investment in innovation, a case study on right party contact, predictive modeling, inventory prioritization and much more.

It was an honor to be a presenter and share the latest industry highlights. Topics included the most monumental court rulings affecting how we operate, as well as updates on the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP), emerging trends, innovation and robocall blocking/labeling.  

Below are a few highlights of what I covered:

In the courts

Revocation – The particular matter at the center of the revocation debate relates to the consumer’s right to unilaterally revoke consent when consent is covered in a contract signed by both parties. Over the last year  there has been a jurisdictional split on whether or not unilateral revocation can occur.

Dialers – ACA International v. FCC, 885 F. 3d 687 (D.C. Cir. 2018) reversed the TCPA expansion caused by the FCC’s 2015 declaratory ruling, specifically as it relates to the definition of an Automated Telephone Dialing System (ATDS). The 2015 ruling stated that anything that currently has the capability to dial randomly generated numbers or that has the potential to be modified to allow such capability is an ATDS. This ruling removed the “potential capability” portion from the definition. A summary can be found here.

E-SIGN – Lavallee v. Med-1 Solutions, LLC (Case No. 1-15-cv-1922, U.S.D.C., S.D. Indiana). The BCFP filed an amicus brief in this case stating that the E-SIGN act applies to FDCPA-required disclosures like the 1692g validation notice. This adds a bit of a hiccup to the ability to email collection letters to consumers as E-SIGN requires consent to receive specific items via email.

In addition to the latest court rulings, I covered the work insideARM has led through our Consumer Relations Consortium (CRC) with the BCPF and consumer advocates to advance the industry’s position on third party disclosure, robocall blocking/labeling, proposed rules and more.

Emerging Trends

Investing in technology and emerging trends is as much about preparing to weather future storms, as it is about optimizing current performance.  Another downturn is inevitable and the firms that can make quick, fact-based decisions and have alternate low-cost channels, will more quickly pull the levers needed to scale and meet customer demands.

A strong data infrastructure, fact-based decision making and a blended omni-channel engagement strategy will be differentiators in the near future.  

• Investing in data and strategy gives you the ability to quantifiably measure ROI, provided a strong test and control strategy (A/B testing) are in place at the time of deployment.
• Expanded contact channels is a must have on your strategic investment plan. It’s what an increasing number of customers want and it’s considerably cheaper than traditional voice channels. These are lower cost levers that can be pulled to augment staffing, increase intensity and improve contact with customers.  

Companies that are risk averse and slow to adopt these new communication channels like self-service IVR’s, text, email, virtual agents, may struggle to compete if the industry sees stress like we did during the last economic crisis.

Innovation

The Consumer Relations Consortium (CRC), led by insideARM, is a membership group of 200+ leaders from top creditors and agencies.  The group focuses on innovation, compliance and process improvement.

This year, we launched a Better Way project following our completion of an in-depth innovation assessment in the early spring.  The four categories assessed included: 1) Bridging the Gap, 2) Substantiation 3) Big Data and 4) Data Standards. Bridging the gap was identified as the top priority, with a focus on improving the hand-off between creditors and agencies in a way that will more quickly build trust and expedite recoveries for agencies and consumers.  Projects underway in this area include:

Third Party Consent Management – an end to end process assessment was completed and documented to help creditors and agencies find the most efficient and compliant way to pass consent back and forth at the the time of and throughout the placement period.  

Handshake Letter – deploying an industry test to validate the quantifiable value of creditors providing an initial notice to consumers notifying them that their account is being placed with a third party collection agency (including name, contact info, etc.).  This is intended to build trust by helping consumers to recognize the agency contacting them on the creditor’s behalf.

Robocall Screening – select CRC members, in conjunction with Numeracle, a member of our innovation council, are participating in a test to measure the benefit of things like registering numbers with the various analytics companies, and running tests to determine the extent to which the company’s calls are being blocked and/or labeled.

Third Party Disclosure – work is underway to develop a standard, fully deployable third party disclosure notice, information about the consumer’s account status at the time of placement with an agency.

Special Topic – Robocall Blocking/Labeling

In response to the $9.5 billion scammed from 22.1 million Americans, the FCC and FTC have given approval to   carriers and other industry players to block and label calls. The primary action to date has been for telecom companies to hire analytics firms to write models to systemically differentiate a good call from a bad call.  Despite their efforts, legitimate call orgininators such as Fortune 1500 companies have seen a 20% reduction in contact rates. This has resulted in revenue loss to which they have no control or visibility to stop.

The CRC has dug in to the topic of robocall blocking and is playing an active role in contributing to a solution that will mitigate the risk to our industry’s ability to successfully contact customers over the phone.  The CRC recently hosted a roundtable with consumer advocates, regulators, telecom companies and the various technology firms involved to convey the unique challenges call labeling poses to the collections industry.. It’s important that we have a voice at the table to ensure that the solution to this problem doesn’t have unintended consequences on our ability to contact customers.  

The telecom industry is also working to develop a program called SHAKEN/STIR.  The concept consists of a digital certificate that travels with the call from originating to delivering carrier to verify that the calling number is owned by the caller and hasn’t been spoofed.  The group has completed much of the technology solution, and is now working on the process side of how certificates will be issued, who can issue them, etc.. The ability to identify a spoofed caller ID is core to re-establishing trust in the call channel.

The telecom industry, in conjunction with groups like insideARM, PACE and engaged tech companies are working together to identify short and long term solutions to this quickly evolving problem.  

Conclusion

There’s no shortage of movement happening in the collections industry.  The key is to stay in the know on how to remain compliant, while also pushing the envelope to remove barriers and continue advancing in low cost, customer friendly, innovative ways.

GENESEO, N.Y. —  Coast Professional, Inc. (Coast) presented a check for $14,610.00 to AutismUp at the company’s Geneseo, NY office on 10/18/2018. Coast’s donation is a result of the company’s dress down for charity program in which employees donate $20 or more for the option to wear jeans and business casual attire for the month. The donations include the employee contributions from Coast’s Geneseo, NY office and the company match of up to $500 per office per month.

The employees of Coast selected AutismUp to be the recipient of the charity dress down program for the months of August and September as a result of the impact that this organization has for families in the local community. The employees vote bimonthly for the charity that will receive the donations raised through the program for the upcoming period.

The proceeds from the donation will benefit AutismUp and will help the organization provide the very best in autism support programs and services in the Greater Rochester and surrounding areas, and aims to support peak performance at every age and ability. AutismUp believes that “every great climb begins with a step up.” The organization provides services to increase autism awareness, provide a facility for individual development, and support services for people and families living with autism.

“We appreciate AutismUp’s determination to improve the lives of those living with autism in our local area and the support they provide to families,” stated Michele Malczewski, Chief Human Resources Officer at Coast. “Coast created the dress down program as an outlet for our staff to give back to organizations in our community that they care about. We’re honored to be able to provide this outstanding organization with these contributions.”

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About AutismUp

Today, 1 in 59 children is diagnosed with autism.  AutismUp (formerly known as UNYFEAT) is the leading 501(c)3 autism support organization in the Greater Rochester and surrounding areas. Founded in 2004, by a small group of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), AutismUp has grown to include more than 2,300 family and professional member households.  AutismUp is dedicated to supporting individuals with autism, and their families, by expanding and enhancing opportunities to improve quality of life. AutismUp is a lead partner organization collaborating to build the new Golisano Autism Center, which will further coordinate autism services for more than 10,000 people diagnosed with autism locally.  The AutismUp Multi-Sensory Learning Environment is located at 855 Publishers Parkway, Webster, NY, 14580. To learn about programs, services and events, visit www.autismup.org, call (585) 248-9011, or email contact@autismup.org. Donations to AutismUp remain local to support customized programs and services.”

About Coast Professional, Inc.:

Coast Professional, Inc. is an accounts receivable management company, dedicated to the respectful and ethical collection of higher education and government debt. Coast provides professional collection services to over 200 campus based colleges, universities, and government clients. Coast is a five time honoree on the Inc. 5000 list for American’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies provided by Inc. Magazine and in 2016, was recognized for the third consecutive year as one of the “Best Places to Work In Collections” by insideARM.com and Best Companies Group. Since 1976, Coast has worked closely with clients to increase recoveries by assisting consumers in resolving their financial obligations. Coast’s success is exemplified by exceptional recoveries, superior service, and dedication to the highest levels of compliance. More information about Coast can be found at www.coastprofessional.com.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. —  Immediate Credit Recovery (ICR), a leading national debt resolution agency, announced the expansion to a new office in San Angelo, TX. This new location is the third office for the company, adding to its existing facilities in Kennesaw, Georgia and its Poughkeepsie, NY, headquarters.

“We are really excited about the significant new capabilities this major expansion will provide to our clients,” said Frank Roa, CEO of ICR. “In addition to adding nearly 250 call stations, the new office already has 70+ employees fully trained in servicing Federal Student Loan and similar type of accounts. The new location also adds considerable expansion for additional loan servicing staff, increased compliance, training and support personnel.”

The new operation is a fully equipped and FISMA-certified contact center that will service state and federal student loan contracts. This strategic acquisition further reinforces the company’s goal of delivering an exceptional level of customer service to its clients.

The new expansion follows ICR’s 2018 extensive investment in new technology to support advanced call center proficiency. “The additional space and new functionality translates to even greater speed and efficiency to the customers we service,” notes ICR President Felipe Yanes. “There will be an immediate and distinct enhancement that the firms we service will benefit from.”

Immediate Credit Recovery is a major national agency that has been servicing the debt recovery needs of the educational, medical, and government markets for nearly three decades.

For more information on ICR’s wide range of accounts receivable products and services, interested parties can call (800) 234-4271 or learn more at https://www.icrcollect.com/.

About Immediate Credit Recovery

Immediate Credit Recovery (ICR) is a highly experienced and results-focused debt recovery agency that has been providing a full range of exceptionally effective services to a broad range of national clients for nearly three decades. With a fully trained staff of professional recovery specialists, ICR works diligently to recover client’s funds quickly, securely, and efficiently in a manner that fully considers the specific needs and individual circumstances of both its clients and consumers, while complying with all relevant Federal, state, and local regulations. With its state-of-the-art technology, superior management oversight, zero-tolerance complaint program, exceptional customer service, advanced consumer privacy and data security safeguards – along with cutting edge technology and strict adherence to the latest regulatory changes – ICR has achieved performance levels and customer satisfaction responses that have placed it at the top of its industry.

As insideARM reported yesterday, the new balance of power in the House of Representatives likely means Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) will be the next chair of the House Financial Services Committee. Rep. Waters was critical of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s (BCFP or Bureau) Acting Director Mick Mulvaney following the resignation of the Bureau’s student loan ombudsman. In an interview with Bloomberg yesterday, Rep. Waters confirmed that she will be focusing on the Bureau.

In the interview, Rep. Waters summarized the 2008 financial crisis, stating that the Bureau is one of the most important centerpieces of Dodd-Frank reform. Rep. Waters praised the Bureau for returning about $12 billion to 30 million consumers and handling over 1.3 million complaints under former director Richard Cordray’s leadership. She stated that the Bureau has been under attack by Republicans and that she is going to “try to do everything [she] can possibly do to undo the harm that Mr. Mulvaney has done.” Rep. Waters criticized Mulvaney’s dismissal of the Bureau’s advisory committee.

insideARM Perspective

Listening to Rep. Waters’ interview, two things come to mind.

First, the high-level summary of the Bureau’s past actions does not take into account the many complexities within these statistics. For example, there has been some criticism of the Bureau’s complaint database. The Bureau’s complaint portal is a useful tool. However, over-simplification of the data, such as simply stating that 1.3 million complaints were handled under the Bureau’s past leadership, paints an incomplete picture. Interviews such as this are usually time-limited so it may not be practical to dive into the details, but it’s always worth keeping in mind that sound bites don’t provide the full picture.

Second, Rep. Waters touched on Mulvaney disbanding the Bureau’s advisory boards. The way this issue is phrased by Rep. Waters gives the impression that the advisory boards were completely eliminated, which is not the case. The Bureau selected new advisory boards (notably containing no representatives from the debt collection industry) a few months after the old boards were disbanded.

One thing seems certain: we will be hearing a lot about the Bureau and the House Financial Services Committee in the near future.

CHERRY HILL, N.J. — In 2013, MRS BPO put on its walking shoes and joined with American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer organization to raise money for Breast Cancer research. Every year, Making Strides organizes walks throughout America to raise awareness and funds that save lives from breast cancer.

Since 2013, we have raised over $70,000 for Making Strides. This year, MRS reached a new fundraising high, generating over $15,000 at our New Jersey, Ohio and Alabama offices.

MRS’s fundraising starts in the summer where it offer the opportunity to buy the right to dress casually through the month of October. Then in October, MRS gets serious.

Throughout the month, the staff holds food and breast cancer bracelet sales, and a 50/50 raffle that generate excitement and money. The grand finale is held on Halloween, which features employees in costumes, a pumpkin decorating contest, a work area decorating competition, and our very popular Gift Basket Auction where each department donates a gift basket for auction and winners are selected in a drawing. This year, lucky winners went home with baskets full of food, wine, home goods, a cake made of dollar bills and even a brand new Sony PS4 gaming unit. The lucky 50/50 winner claimed over $1,000! A group of MRS employees participated in the annual walk in Camden County, New Jersey, which was held on October 28th.

“We know that collections is a tough job, so we always try to do things that are fun and rewarding for the employees. From day one, our employees embraced this fund-raising project and they continue to outdo themselves each year,” remarked Regina Weir, Chief Personnel Officer, who first got MRS involved in Making Strides over six years ago.

MRS is an organization that places a very high premium on charitable giving and our October celebration always brings out the best in our employees. Their spirit, generosity and sense of humor continue to inspire us and make MRS a great place to work. To learn more about Making Strides for Breast Cancer, go to www.MakingStridesWalk.org.

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