Expectations
It may be a bit early for the annual economist exercise of forecasting the year ahead, but nothing about this year has been normal. We are doing good to predict next Tuesday, much less next year. Nonetheless, there is demand…
Building a Relationship with Sales to Aid Quick Credit Turnarounds
Credit managers spend a lot of time seeking out the ideal balance between risk and speed. Finding a credit line that protects your company without hindering profits is no easy task. Whether they’re eager towhen closing a large sale or…
The All Powerful and Influential Automotive Sector
The automotive sector has traditionally been one of the most volatile and unpredictable and there are several factors that play into this pattern. The bottom line is that consumers behave in ways that are generally not considered logical or likely.…
Tariff Fatigue
This is a term I have been hearing a lot lately. People are growing weary of the constant coverage and the constant variation in policy. Now the most common business reaction is to essentially throw one’s hands in the air…
Obtaining Financial Records from Hesitant Customers
Nothing epitomizes the work of a credit manager quite like the initial credit investigation performed on a potential customer. Gleaning details of a customer’s payment habits and professional relationships as you assess how large of a credit limit they should…
What Happens Next?
This is a good time to remind people of my favorite quote from J.K. Galbraith – “there are two kinds of forecasters – those who don’t know and those that don’t know they don’t know”. This has rarely been as…
Three Reasons to Ignore Recession Talk (and One Reason Not to)
The media buzzword is now recession. I suppose they have gotten bored with complaining about inflation and wanted to move on to something new. The reality is that inflation is still the number one issue. By the way, fretting about…
Stability in Uncertain Times: Insights on Small Business Performance and Market Trends
It has often been remarked that there are two kinds of forecasters – those who don’t know and those that don’t know they don’t know. That has long been the case but never more than right now. There is always…
Economic Reconnaissance | Now Comes the Hard Part
First, the good news. It is now safe to watch TV again (except for all the ads from lawyers). The campaigns are over and our choices have been made. Some are happy and some are not. What happens next is…
How Can the CMI be Used for Performance Insights?
NACM’s Credit Managers’ Index (CMI) not only reflects the financial health of industries but also serves as a predictive tool for credit team performance. By leveraging the CMI, credit teams can better understand economic trends, adjust their strategies and stay…