Collection Agencies

Comprehensive market research reports provide in-depth industry analysis and five-year forecasts, with special focus on the underlying structure and external forces and relationships that affect industries and their performance. Report contents include:

Kaulkin Ginsberg
KG Prime
https://www.kgprime.com/

Subscription service provides in-depth analysis of the accounts receivable management industry, with resources available to subscribers including semi-annual industry reviews that provide an overview of key market segments and the economic indicators that impact these markets and market intelligence reports that provide an extensive analysis of a single market segment over a period of several weeks.

Collection Agencies
http://www.firstresearch.com

First Research profiles cover key aspects of an industry's size, scope, and operations and include a five-year growth forecast. Profile contents include:

ACA International
Information resources available from this trade association include:

Collector Magazine
https://www.acainternational.org/
Monthly trade journal features news and information on industry trends and regulations for collections industry professionals, with topics addressed in this publication including sales, operations, marketing, hiring and training, technology, data security, legal and regulatory compliance, risk management, and government matters. Searchable digital editions with interactive table of contents are available online.

The Role of Third-Party Debt Collection in the U.S. Economy
https://www.acainternational.org/
ACA whitepaper provides an overview of the collection industry and its role in the U.S. economy, with information provided in the paper including outstanding consumer credit by type of credit, percentage of outstanding debt more than 90 days delinquent, percentage of consumers with debt in collections, average collections per person, total debt recovered, and percentage of debt recoveries by industry.

Starting And Managing A Collection Agency
https://www.acainternational.org/
Free startup guide takes users through the various aspects of starting and managing an agency, with topics addressed in the guide including estimating start-up capital needs, complying with federal laws governing collections, record keeping requirements, investing in technology, insurance requirements, bond requirements, securing legal advice and assistance, and buying and valuing an existing agency.

Industry Financial Ratios
Collection Agencies
https://www.bizminer.com  Search for "561440"

Five-year financial statement analysis includes income statements, balance sheets, and key financial ratios, with data available by sales size range on a national, state, and metro area level.

ACA International
Surveys available from this trade association include:

Agency Benchmarking Survey
https://www.acainternational.org/
Biennial agency benchmarking survey allows users to compare their agency's financial and operating performance with similar size agencies based on dollars placed as new business, with data provided including a detailed analysis of operating expenses as a percentage of annual gross revenue and key performance ratios such as liquidation percentage, average commission rate, and profit per account.

Top Collection Markets Survey
https://www.acainternational.org/
Biennial survey provides mean and median measures for new business, number of accounts placed, gross collections, liquidation rate, average account balance, and average payment amount by market category, with top markets covered in the report including hospital and nonhospital health care, credit cards and retail, telecommunications and utilities, banks and finance, student loans, and government.

ACA International
Compensation & Benefits Survey
https://www.acainternational.org/

Biennial salary and benefits survey provides salaries, wages, and total compensation information for executive, management, and staff personnel, with survey data broken out by geographic region and dollar amount of new accounts (e.g., less than $10 million, $10 million to $49.9 million, $50 million to $99.9 million, and $100 million or more). Introduction and table of contents are available free online.

PayScale, Inc.
Collection Agency
https://www.payscale.com/

Free online service provides median salary, bonus, and hourly wage rate data for job positions in this sector such as credit/collections manager, collections specialist, collection agent, debt collector, and paralegal, with employers for which salary or wage data is provided including iQor, Inc., FirstSource Advantage, LLC, Client Services, Inc., Northland Group, Inc., and GC Services Limited Partnership.

ACA International
Starting And Managing A Collection Agency
https://www.acainternational.org/

Startup guide includes a discussion of factors to consider in buying and valuing an agency based on a multiple of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) such as quality of client base and concentration of clients, management depth and quality of workforce, predictability of cash flows and growth prospects, and status of equipment and technologies used in the business.