New Trade Association Name for CCIA

CHICAGO--In response to dynamic changes in the ways that consumers seek to protect debt and credit repayment when they borrow and in recognition of the expanded business scope of its membership, the former Consumer Credit Insurance Association today formally adopted the new name of Consumer Credit Industry Association, a choice that lets it continue to be identified as the CCIA.

“We will still be the CCIA as we have been for 55 years,” said Executive Vice President William F. Burfeind, “But our new name better reflects the expanded scope of our association’s membership and services. Today in addition to insurers the CCIA represents financial services providers and other consumer protection products and services besides traditional credit insurance.”

“Simply stated, we are not just about credit insurance anymore. While credit insurance remains a foundation product for many of our member companies and a vital concern to the CCIA, the association has a broader scope of interest and a mandate from the members to service this wider range of consumer credit products and providers,” Burfeind said.

He noted that the name change received approval from the CCIA Board of Directors and that the Board emphasized the importance of being able to keep the acronym CCIA by which the association has been known and recognized since being founded in 1951.

For example, said Burfeind, the association will still be found on the Internet at the same website address, www.cciaonline.com and will continue to represent the credit insurance industry in traditional insurance regulatory and business forums like the NAIC and NCOIL, while broadening its representation to newer credit industry products like debt cancellation contracts and the financial services businesses that offer them.

The name change became effective today at the start of the New Year and will be reflected on all materials, correspondence and communications of the CCIA.

Based in Chicago, the 120-member CCIA is a trade association of insurance companies and other financial service providers selling or servicing consumer credit insurance, credit related lines of insurance, and other consumer credit protection products.