Tag: Credit

The initial investigation into a potential customer’s credit worthiness is an essential step in the credit approval process, singlehandedly signifying the profession’s central goal: extending the right amount of credit that creates profit without introducing too much risk. While many credit managers are used to poring over a customer’s financial statements during this stage, many might not be analyzing as deeply as they could, unintentionally taking on more risk than intended. 

Economic uncertainty complicates the work of credit managers. As the changing tides of the economy become unpredictable, risk increases. Credit managers across industries have seen volatility in pricing, as wide-reaching economic uncertainties like tariffs, trade wars and supply chain issues send ripples across the economy. While price fluctuations are somewhat of a constant in the ever-changing world of business credit, it can still be difficult to predict and even harder to navigate.  

NACM’s Credit Managers’ Index (CMI) deteriorated 1.6 points to 53.3. “The CMI lost some momentum in March after last month’s solid improvement,” said NACM Economist Amy Crews Cutts, Ph.D., CBE. “The deterioration was broad-based, with six of ten factors declining from the February survey.”

The last few decades have seen large waves of women entering the credit profession. Women are entering into male-dominated offices and paving the way for other women to not only excel in credit positions but climb the ladder into leadership roles previously only allotted to men.   

Regardless of the industry you work in, or whether you’ve been in the credit field for decades or only a matter of months, it is vital that you know and understand the federal laws that regulate a credit managers’ activity. Credit managers across industries are beholden to the regulations set by the Equal Opportunity Credit Act (ECOA), which prohibits discrimination in the extension of credit. ECOA forbids discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, creed, national origin, age or marital status in the extension of credit.  

Whether you are conducting an initial credit investigation on a potential customer or reviewing the credit line for a long-held account, commercial credit reports play an important part in the decision to extend credit to a customer. Despite their usefulness, many companies are hesitant to share their accounts receivable data to commercial credit reporting companies. 

For most credit managers, a credit application is a vital step in the credit approval process. It’s a document that neatly outlines all the pertinent information that a credit manager needs to know about their customer, from its corporate legal name to the number of years they’ve been in business. No step epitomizes the oft-repeated mantra of credit management, “Know Your Customer,” quite like the credit application.

NACM’s Credit Managers’ Index (CMI) improved 1.9 points to 54.9 in February. This comes after two months of declines.