Billions of dollars in loans, fees, taxes, and other debts go unpaid every year in the United States. These delinquencies eat into businesses’ profit margins and lead to governmental budget shortfalls. While some companies and governments may be able to handle debt recovery through their own internal collection teams or departments, many others must look externally. The U.S. accounts receivable management (ARM) industry developed from a need for businesses to outsource the collection of their unpaid debts. Today’s ARM industry is an amalgamation of various segments – third-party collection agencies, debt buyers, collection law firms, among others – that serve a diverse set of client sectors. 

To develop a deeper understanding of trends pertinent to the industry, ACA International commissioned Kaulkin Ginsberg to examine the operations and characteristics of ARM companies in 2018. Overall, ARM firms collected roughly $102.6 billion in debt and returned a total of nearly $90.1 billion to creditors, a savings of roughly $706 per household. 

To download the full report, please visit ACA’s website. NOTE: you must be a member of ACA to access the report.