Summer heat is on
News, Information and Commentary
August 2018
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A few thoughts from
Jon Flora, President & CEO
LMAO
Last week, I was vacationing on a boat in the wilds of northwestern British Columbia. No cell service. No email. Very little thinking of work. It was great.
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One night, while anchored in a picturesque bay miles from anywhere, a very high tide raised the boat just enough to get intermittent cell service through the trees. Suddenly and unexpectedly, my phone briefly lit up with a message from one of our members.
She had received a sales call from a what I’ll just label as a “low end” credit report provider. NACM doesn’t represent this particular product simply because we find their data to be of dubious value even though the reports are incredibly inexpensive. Buyer beware.
The member who received the call made it very clear to the salesperson that a)
“I’m a member of
NACM BCS
!” b)
“I
only
buy my reports and other services through
NACM
!” and c)
“Take me
off
your list and don’t
ever
call me again!”
I really like this particular member and could just imagine the conversation. As I sat in the peaceful splendor of Mother Nature, I was LMAO.
For just a brief moment, civilization found me to convey an entertaining and important message.
This is what a membership organization is all about. We are grateful for the loyalty of our members and work hard to earn it from you. When you have a question, we’re here. When you need help with a credit report or collections, we’re here for you. When you need a job or need to fill a position, we try to lend a hand. Are we perfect? No. But we do our best for you and when you can make us laugh out loud, that’s a really good thing because it’s confirmation that we’re doing the job for you.
Thanks to member referrals, we have had a couple of companies call us in the last two weeks seeking our help. Both have decided to join NACM BCS based on those referrals as well as our ability to immediately provide the services they needed. This is the way a member organization is supposed to work. Thanks for doing your part to help us grow and serve the credit profession. We'll keep doing our part to serve you.
August is typically kind of quiet in the newsletter world, but I want to direct you to a couple of stories below that you'll find interesting. First, we three members that have completed their professional designations. Well done! Under the
Education bar, read about the
5 Hour Rule for Learning. In the
Business News section,
take a look at the latest forecasts about the future of Social Security.
I hope you're having a great summer so far. Thanks for your involvement in NACM. Stay cool.
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We are pleased to offer our congratulations to the following members for achieving their professional designations:
Jacqueline Dennis, CBA,
Oldcastle Precast
Michelle Lindsay, CBA,
Crowley Fuels LLC
Tina Hixson, CCE,
PACCAR
Well done, everyone!
If you are interested in following their example, check
here to learn more about how you can pursue and complete a professional designation.
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Try NACM Collections and WIN!
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If you used us for Collections in the past and decided to go a different direction, we want you back in our family.
Now is the time to try us again.
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Send us a trial batch of your Collection accounts and see how we do. If we knock it out of the park, then come on home! When you give us a try, you will be entered into a drawing for an Alexa from Amazon.
If you've
never tried NACM BCS Collections, this is a great time to see if we might work for you. And join in the drawing, too!
But, wait there's more! If you're a current customer and refer someone to our Collections team, you can be included in the contest, too!
Our Collections effort now reaches all of North America, Europe and some of Asia. Don't be shy. We will consider any request.
Whether you're a returning customer, a first-timer, or referring someone, you'll be entered into a drawing for an Amazon Alexa. As a member of NACM BCS, there is no cost to your company to try us.
The drawing will be held on October 1st, so give us a call today! For more information, call us at 800-423-5710 or email us at:
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92%
of people admit to using the same password across accounts
123456
is the most common password based on breach data
3 billion
accounts affected in 2013 Yahoo! breach; the largest breach to date
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Tips for Strong Secure Passwords
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A strong password is your first line of defense against intruders and imposters. Click below for tips and a video based on these tips.
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The 5 Hour Rule about learning
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Why do the world’s smartest and busiest people find one hour a day for deliberate learning (the
5-hour rule
), while others make excuses about how busy they are?
A few minutes of reading will answer the question. Click below.
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Save the date and register today
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The annual Western Region Credit Conference lands in Salt Lake City this October. Click on the link below to learn more about what's happening in Utah.
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BUSINESS NEWS OF INTEREST
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Washington: Ranks 2nd for biz
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The state of Washington ranks 2nd out of 50 states in CNBC’s 2018 ranking of “
America’s Top States for Business
.” But the state is actually down in the rankings from a year ago, when it was No. 1 overall.
Washington, however, “makes a solid run at a first-ever repeat win,” says CNBC. Click below for more on the story from Seattle Business
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Alaska: Economic Confidence Up
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Alaskans’ confidence in their state and local economies, as well as their personal financial outlooks, jumped in the second quarter of 2018.
Click below for more on the story from Alaska Business Magazine.
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Hawaii: Navy invests $30 million
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Elemental Excelerator said it will receive an additional $30 million from the Office of Naval Research, raising the Navy’s total funding commitment to more than $60 million.
Hawaii-based Elemental funds startups in sectors ranging from energy, mobility, agriculture and water. Read more below from Pacific Business News.
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Chicago company tells Hawaiians to stop using "Aloha" in names
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Hawaii residents are calling out a Chicago-based poke chain after it tried to stop other US restaurants selling the trendy sushi bowls from using “Aloha” in their business names, accusing the company of cultural appropriation. Click below for more.
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In recent months, prominent U.S. pot companies have listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange, raising capital from wealthy investors in Asia, Europe and Australia who want to make a play in the cannabis industry but are spooked by the U.S. federal prohibition. Click below for more on this burgeoning industry.
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Congress, we have a problem
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$700 Billion Will Disappear From Social Security's Coffers Over the Next Decade
Beginning this year, and in each subsequent year, Social Security will pay out more in benefits than it collects in revenue. The Motely Fool takes a look at a perplexing issue for American workers. Click below to read more.
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The untold good news story of America today
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Political bickering has long been a roadblock to getting big things done in the US but a grassroots movement getting few headlines could yet herald a new American age of change.
The BBC looks at main street activities intended to breath life and new business into American communities.
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EVENT & INDUSTRY GROUP CALENDARS
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Puget Sound Area
August 9
11:30 a.m. Floor -
Duke's Chowderhouse
August 14
11:30 a.m. Transportation -
Duke's Chowderhouse
August 15
11:30 a.m. Food -
Duke's Chowderhouse
11:30 a.m. Tacoma Construction -
Johnny's Dock
August 16
11:30 a.m. Ad Media -
CBS-KSTW
11:30 a.m. Eastside Construction -
13 Coins, Bellevue
11:30 a.m. Wiring -
Duke's Chowderhouse
August 21
11:30 a.m. HVAC -
Duke's Chowderhouse
Anchorage
August 15
12:00 p.m. Alaska Suppliers & Food -
Doriola's
Honolulu
August 14
Hawaii Hospitality -
Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel
August 15
Hawaii Food -
Waikiki Yacht Club
August 17
Hawaii Building
- Waikiki Yacht Club
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Upcoming Professional Programs
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2018
Online Webinars - Save the Dates!
September 13 - How to Identify and Prevent Fraud
12:00-1:00 p.m. (PDT) FREE For Members - Registration Required
November 7 - Managing Stress in the Credit Department
12:00-1:00 p.m. FREE - Registration Required
Seminars & Conferences
October 10-12
- NACM Western Region Credit Conference
Salt Lake City, UT
2019
May 19- 22, 2019 -
NACM National Credit Congress
Denver, CO
August 12-14, 2019 -
Credit Research Foundation
Forum & Expo
Seattle, WA
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Need help north of the border?
Call us for the best prices for the best credit reports for Canada.
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If you're doing business with our neighbor to the north, there really is only one credit report you need:
Equifax Canada. Equifax has the best data and NACM BCS can quickly set you up to get those reports. Call us anytime for help with your Canadian reporting needs.
1-800-423-5710
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Need help calculating sales tax?
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NACM-member Avalara can help you calculate the proper sales tax amount for invoices no matter where the customer is located. As cities and states pass more tax levies, you need to know how much tax to charge. If you're interested in learning more about how to solve this challenging issue, give us a call at
800-423-5710 and we'll connect you with our tax partners at Avalara.
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Looking for a job? Trying to fill an opening?
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Check out the Job Bank!
If you are needing to fill a position or are looking for a job, the
NACM Job Bank
is for you. It gets a lot of traffic and - best of all - it's a
FREE
service for our members!
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The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels arrive in Seattle for this weekend's Seafair festival
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Serving credit professionals since 1899
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