ACA International is a
trade group
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. Through collaboration between compani ...
located in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
representing
debt collection
Debt collection or cash collection is the process of pursuing payments of money or other agreed-upon value owed to a creditor. The debtors may be individuals or businesses. An organization that specializes in debt collection is known as a coll ...
agencies, creditors,
debt buyers,
collection attorneys, and debt collection industry service providers.
ACA International is based in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
and
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
with members located throughout the U.S. and more than 25 other countries. The organization, through its members, represents more than 150,000 industry employees.
History
In June 1939, the Pacific Coast Association of Collection Agencies and California Association of Collectors, held a joint convention in Oakland, California and launched the ''American Collectors Association'' with 273 members. The organization changed its name to ACA International in 2001.
Industry overview
Collection agency services to their clients include billing, customer service, insurance verification, training, data clearinghouse services, and debt purchasing.
In 2018, third-party collection agencies returned $90.1 billion to creditors, according to an economic impact survey conducted by Ernst & Young. These agencies help employ more than 124,000 employees with a payroll of $5 billion. In addition, third-party collection agencies contributed more than $108.3 million to charitable organizations and volunteered more than 524,000 hours in 2018—including 229,800 hours for company-sponsored activities.
As the trade association representing these businesses, ACA International lobbies for public policy favorable to its members, provides training and credentialing resources, establishes ethical standards and promotes the value of the industry to businesses, policymakers and consumers.
Code of conduct
ACA International members are committed to ethical practices and take the expectations of creditor clients, fellow association members, and members of the public seriously. As a condition of association membership, all ACA members agree to abide by the ACA Code of Conduct and agree that any reports of noncompliance will be handled in accordance with the Association’s Ethics Committee Rules.
References
{{Reflist
External links
ACA websiteEconomic Impact of the Third-Party Debt Collections IndustryFair Debt Collection Practices Act - United States Federal Trade CommissionConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
Collection agencies
Trade associations based in the United States