According to a survey by the National Association of Credit Management (NACM), slightly more than half (52 percent) the nation's credit managers say they have increased their rejections of credit applications since February this year.

But tightening credit is not the only way to stem bad-debt losses. Based on nationwide surveys of credit management professionals, here are the five most popular ways to arrest bad debt and improve your company's cash flow:

• Start managing your slow-paying and bad debt accounts before they are beyond recovery.
• Take firm steps to identify high-risk accounts and learn how to recognize late-payers early.
• Strive to improve the working relationship between your credit manager and your sales department.
• Reeducate salespeople who routinely bring in accounts that don't meet your credit managers' standards.
• Create credit standards that match your tolerance for risk and your company's financial goals.

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The National Association of Credit Management (NACM), headquartered in Columbia, Maryland supports more than 25,000 business credit and financial professionals worldwide with premier industry services, tools and information. NACM and its network of Affiliated Associations are the leading resource for credit and financial management information and education, delivering products and services, which improve the management of business credit and accounts receivable. NACM's collective voice has influenced legislative results concerning commercial business and trade credit to our nation's policy makers for more than 100 years, and continues to play an active part in legislative issues pertaining to business credit and corporate bankruptcy.

For more information contact Norma Heim at 410-423-1842.