ACA International
ACA International is a trade group located in the United States representing debt collection agencies, creditors, debt buyers, collection attorneys, and debt collection industry service providers.
ACA International is based in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. with members located throughout the U.S. and more than 25 other countries. The organization, through its members, represents more than 150,000 industry employees.
History
In June 1939, the Pacific Coast Association of Collection Agencies and California Association of Collectors, held a joint convention in Oakland, California and launched the American Collectors Association with 273 members. The organization changed its name to ACA International in 2001.Industry overview
Collection agency services to their clients include billing, customer service, insurance verification, training, data clearinghouse services, and debt purchasing.In 2018, third-party collection agencies returned $90.1 billion to creditors, according to an economic impact survey conducted by Ernst & Young. These agencies help employ more than 124,000 employees with a payroll of $5 billion. In addition, third-party collection agencies contributed more than $108.3 million to charitable organizations and volunteered more than 524,000 hours in 2018—including 229,800 hours for company-sponsored activities.
As the trade association representing these businesses, ACA International lobbies for public policy favorable to its members, provides training and credentialing resources, establishes ethical standards and promotes the value of the industry to businesses, policymakers and consumers.