Columbia, MD: May 17, 2013—The Finance, Credit and International Business Association (FCIB) will hold its first Spring Conference at the National Association of Credit Management’s (NACM’s) 117th Credit Congress & Exposition on May 18-21, 2013 at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. NACM's Credit Congress has always provided a venue for both domestic and international credit professionals who extend business-to-business credit, but with the inclusion of a specialized Spring Conference comes a focus on the growing opportunities in global trade.

Credit Congress to include a hearing of the ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11, creator of the business bankruptcy predictor Z-Score, Ed Altman, PhD, and MIT Blackjack Team Member Jeffrey Ma

Columbia, MD: May 16, 2013—The premier educational event for commercial credit management is coming to Las Vegas. Held this year from May 18-21, the National Association of Credit Management's (NACM's) Credit Congress is an annual treasure trove of educational sessions and networking opportunities expertly designed to enhance the skills, abilities and careers of trade credit and finance professionals who extend business-to-business credit. The conference's expo features dozens of vendors and providers, the only place nationwide where trade credit and finance professionals can meet all of the industry's biggest leaders and service providers in one place.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration has published the inaugural Spanish language version of the Trade Finance Guide: A Quick Reference for U.S. Exporters. The guide is an easy-to-understand and use tool created specifically to help U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) overcome one of their major export challenges, how to get paid from export sales, thereby helping turn their export opportunities into actual sales.

Columbia, MD: May 6, 2013—The Finance, Credit and International Business Association (FCIB) and the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to increase awareness in the U.S. business community, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses, about exporting and the tools and resources our organizations provide to help them succeed.

The National Association of Credit Management's CMI for April 2013 reports more companies feeling the stress of the slow economy, not meeting payment terms.

Columbia, Maryland: April 30, 2013—The Credit Managers' Index (CMI) from the National Association of Credit Management (NACM) for April fell to levels not seen in over a year, reflecting the sluggishness of the overall economy. The 53.3 mark is the lowest in over 16 months, the same weak levels seen in the "spring swoon" of 2012. The reading is still in expansion territory, but it is certainly heading in the wrong direction. There are some positive notes, but for the most part the data shows an economy struggling with dual issues: the favorable factors, which signal growth, are not offering encouragement, and the unfavorable factors, which indicate whether companies are in a credit crisis, are exhibiting weakness.