Dear Consumer Credit Counseling Professional,

The Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA) is an organization dedicated to making it easier for you to carry out the important work you are engaged in.

AICCCA was founded in 1993, in response to a need to establish high industry-wide standards of service excellence and ethical conduct, and to enhance the provision of important counseling services and information to the credit consumer.

The objective of AICCCA is to promote consistent quality and delivery of consumer credit counseling services among its members.

As you are well aware, economic difficulties and hardships face a great many people in our society. The number of individuals seeking credit protection through bankruptcy continues to increase, and the number of agencies offering counseling services seems to be increasing proportionately. However, levels and quality of service are not consistent and uniformly high. It is important to all of us who are concerned with this situation to join together to ensure that the service provided to consumers is of the highest level and is guaranteed to protect their interests as well as those of the legitimate creditors seeking payment for goods and services.

AICCCA has led the charge for the development of nationwide standards of performance which serve as requirements for membership in our organization. We invite you to complete an application for membership and join with your fellow professional agencies to become a reflection of our industry's Standard of Excellence.

Feel free to contact AICCCA's headquarters for any further information you may need at 703-934-6118.

Sincerely,
David C. Jones, Ph.D.
President,
Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies,
a non-profit corporation

Benefits of Membership in AICCCA

• Use of our logo on your website and publicity materials, certifying to clients, creditors and vendors that you meet the highest standards of service and ethical conduct in the consumer credit counseling industry.
• Help in establishing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between fellow consumer credit counseling professionals, as well as credit and debt recovery managers.
• Unique insight into the needs of your clients through our Mystery Shopper program, Consumer Question of the Month, other client outreach programs and industry research.
• Daily legislative, news, and regulatory updates on state and national issues important to the consumer credit counseling industry, and access to our members-only legislative database.
• Opportunities to attend important presentations on issues affecting the consumer credit counseling industry and network with members from across the country at our Annual Conference and Mid-Winter Conference events.
• Access to the AICCCA National Locator Line, a toll-free number that consumers can call for counseling assistance and a source for creditors to refer their customers for help. Calls on this line are routed to participating agencies on a rotating basis at very low cost.

AICCCA Membership Requirements

• Membership in AICCCA is based on strict adherence to a high standard of professional conduct. Associated agencies are required to conduct themselves in a way that is secure and equitable to both consumers and credit management personnel, and to abide by our Standards and Best Practices.
• Each AICCCA member agency must be a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, must meet all applicable statutory requirements in states where business is conducted, and must be accredited by an approved third-party organization. In addition, all counselors of member agencies must be certified by an approved professional credit counselor certification program.
• All services are to be delivered with integrity, fairness and professionalism to those who desire it regardless of age, race, creed, religion, employment, marital or financial status. All interactions with clients, including limits on fees for Debt Management Plans, are governed by our Standards and Best Practices.
• There are no initiation or application fees to join AICCCA. Annual Membership fees are based on a calendar year and are pro-rated quarterly, based on the joining date within the first year. Dues are calculated as .55 of one percent (.055%) of total prior year expenses as reported on IRS Form 990 with minimum dues of $800 and maximum dues of $17,500.
• All AICCCA members must participate in our Mystery Shopping program, designed to ensure compliance with our Standards and Best Practices and to provide assistance in improving customer service.