Make a Business Credit Breakthrough with the CBA 

B2B credit management is a multi-faceted field that requires a diverse knowledge base and skill set. One of the fundamental requirements for credit managers is a strong understanding of business credit. The Credit Business Associate (CBA) designation, earned through NACM’s six-level Professional Certification Program, accomplishes just that through mastery of three business credit related disciplines: Basic Financial Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis I and Business Credit Principles. 

Lindsey Culligan, CBA, trade credit analyst at Columbia Distributing (Wilsonville, OR), made earning her CBA her top goal for 2024. “Although my CBA journey was longer than most, I learned so much more about business credit and finally proved to myself that I could do it,” she said.  

Culligan first learned about the certification program in 2018 and took the Business Credit Principles course the following year. After some time had passed and with the remaining CBA courses completed in college, Culligan registered for the CBA exam in September 2024. 

“As a full-time working parent, it’s a huge accomplishment to do something for myself like this,” Culligan said. “I had to basically figure out how to study all over again. But I was fortunate enough to have the support from my employer on that journey and now, I’m working towards my CBF designation and motivated to keep going!” 

💡Study Tips: Start early and take breaks. “There will always be busier days than others, so take a break for a few days and come back to it,” Culligan said. “I would normally set aside one hour each day to review the material that may be on the test. I also took the online CBA Practice Exam, which was a huge help.” 

For more information about each designation within NACM’s Professional Certification Program, visit our website.