How To Conduct Your Job Interview To Find The Perfect New Hire

July 19, 2010 by Mallory Megan  
Filed under Credit

In the middle of an American economic crisis, and every other industry seems to be cutting back, one seems to be growing rapidly: the debt collection! You heard right! According to one recent study that was conducted as of late, more than fifty five percent of the collection agencies questioned plan to add to the amount of staff that they already employ this fiscal year.

Any manager going through the hiring process is aware of the time and aggravation that comes with finding the right fit for the job, especially a job like a debt collector where attention to detail and motivation are highly necessary. In the collections industry, it is imperative that you hire the right person. A debt collector who is too laid back is not going to collect; a collector who is too high strung might end up getting your agency sued. Hiring the wrong candidate not only leads to an unhappy new hire with the capacity to harm the credibility of the hiring manager and even the company, but it also chews up management time that it takes to train. Time and money that could have been put into training the right hire in the first place.

So how should a hiring manager go about holding job interviews to pick out the best fit? Interviewing styles differ from business to business. Typically, a majority of interviews will involve asking about a candidate’s job history. But if a candidate knows what you are looking for, and they are adept at selling you their experience, you may end up hiring the person who is not best suited for the specific job you have in mind. Therefore, the most important idea that any prospective employer should keep in mind during an interview is to get the candidate to be extremely specific. Research has shown that it is more effective to go over less material very thoroughly than to have a general sense of everywhere that the candidate has been. It is important not to simply accept their first answer as complete- probe for more details.

In the collection industry, behavioral questions have been proven to be helpful. These are based on the idea that past actions may predict behavior in the future. When it is crucial that you need to be able to reasonably predict how a new hire will respond to any type of stimulus on the job because the credibility of your company is at stake, questions such as “give me an example of,” or “what are your best and worst personality traits” can be helpful. Ask the candidate how they generally handle stress. We all know they are going to be dealing with it after all.

Finally, look for new hires who feel passion about the things that they do. Try to look under the surface to determine if there is an authentic depth underneath what the candidate is claiming. Try asking about hobbies, life goals, etc. It may be unorthodox, but looking beyond qualifications can help you get a hold of some of the details that will give you an idea of how a candidate will approach a job and what their work habits are like.

Mallory Megan works for Rapid Recovery Solution and writes articles on medical collection agencies Also published at How To Conduct Your Job Interview To Find The Perfect New Hire.

What Happens When A Stock Market Crashes?

July 10, 2010 by Mallory Megan  
Filed under Stock Market

A stock market crash can be loosely defined up as a circumstance where share prices of stock listed on the stock exchanges drop drastically. Even though there are a number of economic factors that will cause a stock market crash, a reason for stock market crashes is also the investing public’s loss of confidence in the economy and mass panic.

Many times, the effects of stock market crashes can be awful for a country’s economy. There have been infamous stock market crashes that resulted in the loss of billions of dollars, and as more and more people become involved in the stock market, crashes have touched more lives recently.

One of the most infamous stock market crashes began on October 24, 1929 and would be come to be known as Black Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial lost fifty percent during this stock market crash, setting off the start of the Great Depression. Another famous crash occurred on October 19, 1987, which also known as Black Monday. The crash started in Hong Kong but rapidly caught fire around the world.

By the time October was over, stock markets in Hong Kong had fallen 45.5%, the United States had fallen 22.68%, and Australia, Spain, the United Kingdom and Canada suffered intensely in addition. In stock market history, this marked the biggest one day percentage decline – the Dow Jones fell by 22.6% in one day.

Nothing could seem to explain the crash in 1987. The main events and news at the time could not predict the disaster and any obvious reasons for the collapse could not be identified. This crash created many questions about the theories and assumptions of modern economics. After the crash, computer systems were upgraded in the stock exchanges to handle larger trading volumes more efficiently. The New York Stock Exchange also introduced the concept of a circuit breaker, which halts trading if the Dow declines a prescribed number of points for a prescribed amount of time.

Mallory Megan works for Rapid Recovery Solution and writes articles on medical collection agencies. This article, What Happens When A Stock Market Crashes? is released under a creative commons attribution licence.

Looking Into The Stock Market For Beginners

July 1, 2010 by Mallory Megan  
Filed under Credit

Are you new to investing in the stock market? The number of “civilians” that have gotten involved in the stock market has increased sharply over the past few decades. So you might be asking yourself “how can I get a cut of the deal and make money investing?” There are a number of different approaches to finding companies that may be worthwhile to invest in, but two basic methods are fundamental analysis or technical analysis. Fundamental analysis involves analyzing companies by their financial statements found in SEC Filings, general economic conditions, business trends and the like.

Technical analysis studies price actions in markets by using quantitative techniques and charts in an attempt to predict price trends that may be independent of the company’s financial prospects. One good example of a technical analysis strategy is the Trend following method. This analysis is used by Ed Seykota and John W. Henry and it looks at price patterns, uses strict money management, and is founded also in diversification and risk control.

Another way a number of people like to make profit investing is to choose to invest through the index method. With the index method, you hold a weighted or unweighted portfolio that has the entire stock market or some segment of the stock market. When you utilize the index method your goal is to maximize diversification, cut back on taxes from too frequent trading, and ride the general trend of the stock exchange, which in the United States has averaged almost ten percent a year, since World War Two.

A good thing to keep in mind if you are looking to get into the stock market is that, according to a lot of national or state laws, a large number of fiscal obligations are taxed for capital gains. Taxes will be added on by the state over the transactions, dividends, and money you made on the stock market, in particular, in the stock exchanges.

However these fiscal obligations might vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction because, along with other reasons, it could be assumed that taxes are already included into the stock price through the different taxes companies pay to the state, or even that stock market operations without taxes are useful to help foster economic growth. My best words of advice to you are the old clich “never invest more than you can afford to lose,” and good luck in your prospects.

Mallory Megan works for Rapid Recovery Solution and writes articles on medical collection agencies. Check here for free reprint licence: Looking Into The Stock Market For Beginners.

What’s The Skinny On Bill Collectors? Pt. 2

June 1, 2010 by Mallory Megan  
Filed under Finance

If the debtor agrees to pay the bill, the bill will jot down this commitment and will check up on things later to make sure that the payment was made. If a debtor does not pay, the collector will prepare a statement about their delinquency for the credit department of whoever they work for. In extreme cases, collectors may call for repossession, hand over the account to an attorney or disconnect service.

Collectors need to be careful to follow the Federal and State laws that are applicable because people’s financial problems can be a sensitive issue. The Federal Trade Commission states that a collector must positively identify the person who owes money before they can announce that the purpose of the call is to collect debt.

The bill collector will then issue a statement, sometimes called a “mini-Miranda” that lets the customer know that they are a collector.

They also have to follow the state laws that say how they should proceed. A lot of companies use electronic systems now to help bill collectors remember all of the laws and regulations regarding each call.

Collectors utilize computers and an assortment of automated systems in their jobs. Companies will record their accounts by utilizing computers, and collectors are able to keep tabs on collection attempts in the past and other information in notes on the computer. Like most call centers collectors use headsets in lieu of regular phones. Automatic dialing lets bill collectors work quickly and efficiently with no chance of dialing the wrong number. Generally, in house bill and account collectors work in an office environment, people who work for a third party agency might work in a call center type environment.

The work has the capacity to be stressful; people get confrontational when they are asked about their debts. The best collectors have to face rejection regularly, but still be ready to make their next call in a positive voice. Fortunately for them, some customers appreciate help in resolving their debts.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a credit debt collection agency.

Laws That Can Help During Tax Season

May 16, 2010 by Rapid Recovery Solution  
Filed under Finance

In the present day’s recession the changes seem massive. Just last year a number of tax laws were written to bail us out of dire situations. These are a few new tax laws that you should know about.

The first deals with new car sales and tax deductions. If you purchased a brand new vehicle, including a car, motorcycle, light truck or motor home, on or after February 16th 2009 and by December 31st 2009, any excise or sales tax paid may be seen as a deduction.

In 2010 and 2009 in addition the American Opportunity Credit replaces the Hope Education credit. This new credit is worth $2,500 per student, this is based off the first $4,000 of qualifying educational expenses.

Homeowners that make energy efficient improvements to their existing homes can claim a credit of 30 percent of the cost of all of the upgrades, up to $1,500. This includes things such as adding insulation, energy efficient exterior windows and energy efficient air conditioning and heating systems.

Last year was rough for a number of workers, and layoffs hit record levels. However, unemployment compensation is considered taxable income. But now, the first $2,400 in benefits is excluded from income.

Because of the Bicycle Commuter Act, cyclists will receive reimbursement of workplace transportation costs into a tax favored account and bikers can utilize the cash to put towards purchase of a bicycle, helmet, bike lock, bike parking fees and general bike maintenance.

Finally, if you pay your income tax by credit or debit card, you can deduct the convenience fee that will be charged for the transaction. The card fee, as well as any other IRS approved miscellaneous deductions must exceed 2 percent of your adjusted gross income before they will count. Although this measure limits the value of this break for many, filers with substantial expenses to claim should be sure to add the card fee.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a third party debt collection company. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

Respecting Privacy

April 15, 2010 by Mallory McGuinness-Hickey  
Filed under Business

It is imperitive that debt collectors respect your privacy. According to the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act, collection agencies cannot exchange information about debtors. They can’t send out a list of people who owe money to its creditor subscribers. They cannot advertise a debt for sale, or compile a list of debtors to its creditor subscribers.

They cannot advertise a debt for the use of sale, or make a list of debtors for sale to others. They are prohibited from leaving messages with third parties asking the debtor to call them. The exterior of envelopes sent by collections agents cannot indicate the purpose of the letter in any way. Postcards are never allowed.

A collector is permitted to send mail in care of another person only if you reside at that address or if you get your mail at that address. If you share your address with others the mail should be labeled “personal” or private. The letter essentially can’t give any appearance alluding to the fact that it is a collections bill.

A debt collector that knows your name and phone number and thus can contact you yourself is not permitted to contact your neighbors or family members. If they cannot locate you and they do call your family members or neighbors, the collector must identify themselves by name but not tell the third party that they are a debt collector.

They can’t tell others you owe money or speak to them about account details. They cannot contact the person more than once, can’t leave information about a the money on another person’s voicemail and they have to disclose the name of the collection agency but only if asked.

If you are being contacted by a collector looking for your former roommate, relative or neighbor, the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act says a debt collector can only contact you to determine the location of the person who owes the money. Only if the collector believes you have new information can they contact you again. If a collector contacts you repeatedly about a third party that can be considered harassment and you can file a complaint.

Mallory McGuinness-Hickey is an employee of Rapid Recovery Solution and writes articles on debt collection and finances.

Collection Agencies 101

April 15, 2010 by Mallory Megan  
Filed under Finance

If the person in debt agrees to pay, the bill collector will record this commitment and will check up later to make sure that the payment was made. If a debtor does not pay, the collector will draw up a statement about their delinquency for the credit department of whatever company they are working for. In extreme cases, debt collectors may request repossession, hand over the account to a lawyer or disconnect service.

Debt collectors have to be careful to follow the Federal and State laws that apply because people’s financial problems can be sensitive issue. The Federal Trade Commission states that a collections agent must positively identify the person who owes the bill before they are able to tell the debtor that the purpose of the call is to collect debt.

The bill collector will then issue a statement, sometimes known as a “mini-Miranda” that lets the customer know that they are in fact a collector.

Additionally, debt collectors must abide by the state laws that dictate how they must proceed. A lot of companies use electronic systems now to help bill collectors remember all of the laws and regulations regarding each call.

Collectors use computers and an assortment of automated systems in their jobs. Companies will keep track of their accounts by using computers, and collectors are able to keep track of collection attempts in the past and other information in notes on the computer. As with most call centers, collectors use headsets in lieu of regular phones. Automatic dialing allows bill collectors to work efficiently and quickly and with no chance of dialing the wrong number. Typically, in house bill and account collectors work in an office environment, people who work for a third party agency may work in a call center type environment.

The work has the capacity to be stressful; people get confrontational when they are asked about their debts. The best collectors have to face rejection regularly, but still be prepared to make their next call in a positive tone of voice. Luckily for them, a number of debtors appreciate help in resolving their debts.

Mallory Megan works for a debt collection agency. Also she composes stories on business, finance, consumer spending and collection agencies. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Protect Yourself Against Debt Collection Scams

March 9, 2010 by Mallory Megan  
Filed under Marketing

The government is stepping up as debt collection scams rise. In recent news, Buffalo New York has been home to a number of unlawful debt collection practices, and authorities have arrested at least twelve people. Although the vast majority of collection agencies are legitimate and good for the economy, there has been a rising amount of deceptive and illegal practices.

In Buffalo, collections agents have been caught calling up people that owe money and posing as law enforcement. They have threatened to send people that owe money into jail, or even take child custody away from them. But it doesn’t stop there.

A civil case recently imposed a $675,000 penalty, the most ever fined for a debt collection company, for deceptive and illegal practices. This includes lying to consumers and badgering them, disclosing their debt to third parties, and cashing in on post dated checks early. These tactics were accompanied by deceptive claims from agents saying they were lawyers or other figures of authority.

In addition to refusing to reveal the address or phone number of the “company” these agents even went as far as to call individuals who did not owe any money at all and attempted to collect from them. Despite claims that it was individual workers acting fraudulently, the Federal Trade Commission went after the business owners and won a case that imposed the biggest penalty ever for debt collection agencies.

To skirt around the issue of being a victim to fraudulent debt collection agencies, it is crucial that you know your rights. A debt collection company is never permitted to seize a debtor’s assets, bank accounts, or paychecks. They are unable get a debtor fired from their occupation, and cann’t make any kind of public disclosures concerning the debt, and they can definitely never threaten or engage in violent acts.

For more information, refer to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which outlines the rules and regulations of debt collection.

Mallory Megan is employed by a collections agency that works with a debt collection lawyer. Also, she does stories on business, finance, consumer spending and collections agencies. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service