Training magazine Announces 2015 Top 125 Winners and Hall of Fame Inductees

February 12, 2015

See Article at http://www.trainingmag.com/training-magazine-ranks-2015-top-125-organizations

Bass & Associates, P.C., Receives Prestigious BEST Award from ATD

October 2, 2014

Bass & Associates, P.C., is ranked 41st in the elite Association for Talent Development's 2014 BEST Awards program, recognizing the company as one of the top organizations internationally in demonstrating enterprise-wide success as a result of employee learning and development.
Bass & Associates, a nationwide, woman-owned, small business collections and bankruptcy law firm based in Tucson, Ariz., is among 46 companies from six countries to receive the award. The company is featured in a special section of the October 2014 issue of TD, ATD's monthly magazine.
"At Bass & Associates, we recognize that training and development are critical in our ability to provide the best service and performance to our clients," said company President & CEO Patti H. Bass. We are honored to be recognized for our dedication to training and development, which sets us apart in these highly competitive times."
Bass & Associates Training & Development Manager Andrew J. Hoskins received the BEST Award during a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 2, 2014. Hoskins designs impactful training programs for Bass & Associates employees, utilizing training modules, webinars and engaging, interactive training sessions.
In receiving the award, Bass & Associates competed against nearly 100 organizations from 14 countries. Organizations submitted quantitative and qualitative information to ATD about their learning and talent development practices and programs. Applications were assessed in a blind review by members of the BEST Awards advisory committee, a select group of experts in the field.
The BEST Awards are the talent development industry's most rigorous and coveted recognition. The awards recognize organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through employee learning and development. "These 46 companies excel in creating innovative, vibrant learning cultures that clearly align with strategic business goals," said Tony Bingham, ATD President & CEO. "They get it".
About Bass & Associates, P.C.
Bass & Associates, P.C. is a nationwide, woman-owned collections and bankruptcy law firm that offers comprehensive, fully-coordinated debt recovery services to clients in the credit-granting industries. Bass & Associates has a proven history of successfully managing diverse account portfolios by utilizing custom developed process flows that fit the needs of each client. With more than 20 years of successful experience as debt collection and bankruptcy attorneys, the firm has developed partnership-based relationships with clients incorporating superior performance and excellent customer service.
Bass & Associates is the recipient of the Wells Fargo Copper Cactus Award in the community service category and the Better Business Bureau Business Ethics Award. TrainingMag.com recognized Bass & Associates in 2013, 2014 and 2015 with the Top 125 award, presented to top companies with employer-sponsored workforce training and development.

Training magazine Announces 2014 Top 125 Winners and Hall of Fame Inductees

November 18, 2013

See Article at http://trainingmag.com/content/training-magazine-announces-2014-top-125-winners-and-hall-fame-inductees

Patti H. Bass chairs national collections industry conference

November 12, 2013

Patti H. Bass, Founder, President and CEO of Bass & Associates, P.C., chaired the 21st Annual Financial Services Collections & Operational Risk Conference Oct. 21-23, 2013, in Chicago. "I was honored to be selected to chair this important informational and networking event," Bass said of the conference, held at the Swissotel. "The Financial Services Collections & Operational Risk Conference is widely recognized as one of the industry's most valuable educational opportunities," she continued. "The conference provided information, education and networking opportunities that are critical in maximizing success in our industry."

Bass & Associates is a nationally recognized, woman-owned collections and bankruptcy law firm that offers comprehensive, fully coordinated debt recovery services to clients in the credit-granting industries. The three-day conference brought together critical decision makers from all facets of financial services, including cards, mortgage, home equity, auto, overdraft/DDA, personal loan, commercial, small business, student loans and alternative lending.

More than 30 industry experts presented at the conference, which focused on three themes - compliance/operational risk management; technology and legal and regulation. From information on utilizing text messaging in collections to leveraging technology to improve skip tracing results in a compliant environment, participants gained information and strategies to improve performance. "Our industry finds itself at a time of great change but also a time of great opportunity, given the right tools and information," Bass said. "The Financial Services Collections & Operational Risk Conference helped prepare those on the front lines with the information they need to succeed in this challenging economic climate."

Bass & Associates, P.C., ranked among nation's best in training

February 25, 2013

Bass & Associates, P.C., is ranked 72nd in the 2013 Training Top 125, Training magazine's annual ranking of the top companies with employer-sponsored workforce training and development. Bass & Associates earned higher ratings than elite corporations that include New York Life Insurance, ConAgra Foods and AAA.

The nationwide, woman-owned, small business collections and bankruptcy law firm based in Tucson, Ariz., was among the smallest companies to receive the honor. The rankings were unveiled during the awards gala at the Training 2013 Conference & Expo, Feb. 18-20, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. "Training and communication are critical components in our success," said Patti H. Bass, President and CEO of Bass & Associates. "As a result of our comprehensive training programs, the Bass team provides consistently superior performance and excellent customer service to our clients."

Now in its 13th year, the Training Top 125 ranking is determined by assessing a range of qualitative and quantitative factors, including financial investment in employee development, the scope of development programs, and how closely such development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives.

Alarming Rise in Student Loan Debt Focus of Bass & Associates Executive Summit

February 22, 2013,

While mortgage-related woes continue to grab headlines in the U.S. economic recovery, collection industry insiders have spotted a potentially more ominous threat to economic stability - student loans. The topic of student loan debt was a recurring theme at the Bass & Associates, P.C. Collection Industry Executive Summit held Feb. 21-22 in Tucson, Ariz. The Summit is one of the leading industry gatherings where insiders and experts discuss emerging trends, important industry and legal changes, and review case studies. "As the collection industry has absorbed a record-breaking number of policy changes, we have armed ourselves with a sharper lens to focus on problems such as the alarming and steady rise in student loan debt," said Patti H. Bass, President and CEO of Bass & Associates. "The mortgage meltdown has dominated the conversation in recent years, but it is only one part of the tightly woven web of financial perils facing U.S. consumers and lending institutions."

New to the line-up of Summit presenters was William "Bill" D. Hansen from the Madison Education Group, who provided an analysis of the changing landscape and impending perils of the student loan industry. Returning presenters were Professor Robert D. Manning of Responsible Debt Relief; Ann Woods, Vice President of Money Management International, Inc.; and David Melcer, Bass & Associates' Managing Attorney. Attendees included credit grantors, debt buyers, and industry service providers.

The Summit is held in conjunction with a major international sporting event, the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Golf Championship. The Summit is held at the Hilton El Conquistador Resort, and attendees also have an opportunity to enjoy world-class golf hosted by Bass & Associates at their Corporate Tent. Next year's event, the eighth annual, will be February 21-22, 2014.

In his presentation, Hansen diagrammed the growth in loan volume, rising defaults, unaccounted risks in direct lending, and several areas for potential reform and rehabilitation of the nation's educational lending system. He provided data to attendees indicating that more than half of student loan borrowers are in deferment or forbearance, and that student loan debt delinquencies are accelerating, while other consumer debt delinquencies are declining. Manning reviewed various phases of recovery as consumers adjust to a "new normal" in the economy. An analysis of mortgage, credit card, and student loan debt from 2003-2012 revealed a prominent and steady rise in student loan debt. In comparison over the same period of time, credit card debt remained at similar levels year-to-year, and mortgage debt fluctuated upward to a rugged plateau. Woods offered an updated profile of credit counseling customers, which showed a slow downward trend in household debt since the first noted decrease in 2011.

Student loan debt was again part of the conversation as she displayed the results of a consumer study, which revealed that 26 percent struggle to repay their loans and are actively seeking methods for manageable repayment. Melcer provided a 2012 collection legal review with an in-depth guide to the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which serves to uphold fair collection and credit practices. He offered a roadmap of critical checkpoints for credit-granting industries to follow when subject to an exam by the CFPB.

Bass & Associates, P.C. Recognized for Commitment to Data Security

December 5, 2011

Bass & Associates, P.C. is receiving national attention regarding new security systems the company has in place to protect confidential customer data. Bass and Chief Information Executive Ian Atkinson were recently featured on IT Jungle, a website that helps corporations navigate the information technology industry.

IT Jungle pointed to Bass as an example of a collections and bankruptcy law firm that is proactive in protecting customer data from those with criminal intentions. Bass & Associates recently upgraded to state-of-the art encryption systems. Atkinson called the project "a key component in our security strategy and compliance strategy" as part of the company's commitment to providing excellence in debt recovery services. To view the article, go to http://www.itjungle.com/fhs/fhs090611-story01.html

Experts at Annual Conference Summit Weigh In

February 25, 2011

The credit and collection industries' rapidly evolving practices prove to be a true barometer for the new U.S. economy, say experts who spoke at the 2011 Bass & Associates, P.C. Collection Industry Executive Summit in Tucson, AZ. "The latest government policies and courtroom resolutions have had an immediate impact on procedures for credit-granting institutions," said Patti Bass, President and CEO of Bass & Associates. "The frequency of changes are coming at a truly unprecedented pace," Bass continued. "It has amplified the importance of staying on top of all legal and regulatory developments in our industry."

The summit was the fifth such gathering of senior collection industry executives. Recent industry developments and predictions on current challenges facing the collection industry were reported on by key speakers, including: Professor Robert D. Manning of Responsible Debt Relief; Ann Woods, Vice President of Money Management International, Inc.; David Melcer, Bass & Associates' Managing Attorney; and American Bankruptcy Institute Executive Director Sam Gerdano. Attendees included credit grantors, debt buyers, and industry service providers. "We have called together fellow executives year after year because it's so important to hear from experts on the frontline of these changes," Bass said. "It's more critical than ever to receive latest developments from those in the field." One such expert, Gerdano gave insights into the legislative developments following the election of the new Congress and the formation of the behemoth Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "With unprecedented consolidated powers and a massive budget, the bureau's rule-making and regulatory reach extends to any "unfair, abusive or deceptive" practice - fundamentally reshaping the relationship between the financial industry and its customers," he said.

Manning questioned whether the next phase of the economic cycle would bring any new prosperity in the face of mounting debt. Despite government stimulus programs, the "near bankrupt" and consumer bankruptcy issues like mortgage foreclosures continue to rise, which has put previous economic policies and predictors into question. "The conclusion that the recession has ended is proving untrue for most Americans, and we have watched most economic indices deteriorate," he said.

Woods gave a consumer analysis demonstrating how the recent housing and credit crises have altered economic habits and shifted business practices. Government changes such as the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 have had a marked affect on consumer behavior and the marketplace. "The credit counseling industry is rapidly adapting more than ever before to meet the needs of individuals receiving debt and budget services," she said.

Melcer spoke about the fallout facing good collection agencies as the consumer debt excesses of the pre-recession years come due. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act has been stretched to its limits and exposed a seamier side of the industry. "Sensing opportunity, many consumer law firms are mining the FDCPA for more gold, and ethical collectors as well as many law-abiding credit grantors are feeling the effects," he said.

The summit was held in a setting of a major international sporting event, the 2011 World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship. Next year's 6th annual event dates will be February 23rd and 24th, 2012. Again the event will take place in Tucson centered around the dates WGC event. Bass & Associates, P.C. is a nationwide, woman-owned collections and bankruptcy law firm that offers comprehensive, fully coordinated debt-recovery services to clients in the credit-granting industries.

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