American Recovery Association (ARA) is the world’s largest association of certified, trained and compliant recovery and remarketing professionals. ARA members specialize in locating and repossessing collateral on behalf of lending institutions including banks, savings institutions, finance companies, credit unions, rental/leasing companies, and auto, truck and equipment dealers. All members are certified independent business operators.
What is the reason ARA exists?
To provide a voice for its membership on issues that directly affect their businesses, to add a professional edge to an industry previously seen as a nuisance, to educate its members and the industry on changes that can affect them. To foster relationships between the lending community and repossession agents.
What is the ARA membership trying to achieve in their businesses?
Profitability, to regain control of their business, and be compensated fairly for services rendered.
What are the pain points, obstacles, or challenges?
Forwarders, stagnant fees, lack of respect for the profession, services billed to the consumer at an inflated rate, or services not provided at all.
How do we help you overcome obstacles to achieve your goals?
Education via webinars and press releases, Advocating at the National and State level, providing opportunities to discuss issues in open forums. Protect the industry from being targeted by predatory business models, advocate for agencies freedom of choice.
What are people paying for when they join the association?
Being part of the ARA provides an opportunity to network, SOON the ARA University and the 50 State solution are things we are working on, we are close. One stop shopping for compliance accepted by all in the space.
What is the most valuable thing the ARA offers?
Currently the CCRS, the ARA monitoring system, and lobbying efforts on a national level.
Is the ARA currently seeking to reduce its membership costs?
Yes, the board is working on this currently and plan to release the new structure by the end of 3rd quarter of 2023.
We Advocate for The Industry
Through regular meetings with regulators, we’re able to drive industry standards from within, taking your feedback straight to the people who matter.
We keep track of state and federal regulatory changes and advocate for those which enhance your ability to do business.
Communications have been vastly improved by our own proprietary software, connecting you with your clients and the association to you.
Complete Compliance Training
Both our Repossession and Repossession Associate memberships include all level one compliance training and testing through the CCRS Certification.
Being an ARA member gives you the freedom of choice for your compliance platform so there is no need to pay for multiple platforms. ARA’s CCRS compliance training program is now accepted and recognized by RISC/MBSI and its lender / forwarder users. Recovery professionals that use the RISC or CCRS compliance programs alike now have the freedom to choose for themselves which compliance program works best for them.
The work and testing required to get CCRS integrated into the RISC platform was complete October 2022 and the CCRS compliance program is now accepted and qualified to work with RISC and MBSi.
Users of the CCRS training program can log onto RISC and enter their CCRS ID and begin working assignments via the MBSi platform.
We even provide additional training (at a reduced cost) required by some lenders. This includes some safety and maintenance training. (This is where the new ARA University comes in soon.)
Lower Insurance Premiums
When ARA partnered with Harding Brooks Insurance and Northern Star Management in 2014, we gave our members better access to the industry’s best health insurance.
The significant discounts our partnership created can offset large portions of our membership fees, if not doing so completely.
The life insurance program we unlocked has allowed each member to benefit from $10,000 worth of life insurance, with reduced rates available for your consideration.
HB GL discount, discounted workers comp
Better Business Opportunities
Hundreds of assignments come through the ARA website each month, including dealers, financial companies and more, providing members with ample opportunity to grow their business.
We also provide discounted prices for exhibitors at NARS (North American Repossessors Summit), where our diverse industry assembles to brainstorm solutions for the most prominent issues.
Discounted registration to NARS for ARA members
