Better Debt

How is AI transforming debt collection in the US and Canada — and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead?

In this episode of Better Debt, InDebted CEO & Founder Josh Foreman is joined by Dave Hanrahan (CEO & Co-founder, Kredit), Tony Pampena (President, CBV Collection Services & 2nd VP, RMA Canada), and Mike Zhou (VP Data & AI, InDebted) to explore how AI is reshaping contact strategies, compliance, and performance across North America.

They discuss:

• Apple’s iOS 26 AI call screening and what it means for declining right-party contact rates in voice-heavy strategies
  
  
  
• The rise of AI voice agents and how hybrid human-AI models are driving efficiency and better customer engagement
  
  
  
• Practical use cases for predictive analytics to improve segmentation, timing, and repayment outcomes
  
  
  
• The role of omnichannel outreach — SMS, email, and voice — in building trust and adapting to shifting consumer preferences
  
  
  
• Guardrails for responsible AI adoption, from internal governance frameworks to explainability and QA
  
  
  
• How regulation is lagging behind in both the US and Canada — and what operators can do now to stay ahead
  
  
  
• The future of collections talent: how roles will evolve as AI takes over routine tasks, freeing teams to focus on higher-value work

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

How is AI reshaping debt collection in Australia and New Zealand — and what can global creditors learn from it?

In this episode of Better Debt, InDebted CEO & Founder Josh Foreman is joined by Adele Megdyatyova (Head of Performance & Analytics at InDebted) and Daniel Wirjo (Solutions Architect at AWS) to explore how AI-powered collections and digital-first strategies are transforming customer engagement in ANZ.

They discuss:

• Apple’s iOS 26 call screening feature and what it means for declining right-party contact rates
• Why omnichannel debt collection is critical for effective, compliant customer engagement
• How voice AI enables 24/7, multilingual conversations that reshape the customer experience in debt collection
• The difference between inbound and outbound AI voice — and the “breadth vs depth” challenge
• Using AI-powered debt collection models to personalise outreach and improve conversion
• Compliance guardrails and designing trustworthy debt collection solutions
• The future of empathetic, scalable collections: AI co-pilots, A/B testing conversations, and bold predictions for 2026

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

How is the Canadian collections landscape evolving? And what can global creditors learn from it?

In this episode of Better Debt, InDebted CEO Josh Foreman is joined by Kevin Pretty (Strategic Account Executive, Equifax Canada; President of RMA Canada) and Blair DeMarco-Wettlaufer (CEO, Kingston Data and Credit; Executive Director, RMA Canada) to explore the unique trends, challenges and opportunities in Canada’s collections sector.

They discuss:

• Pressures facing collectors in 2025 — from economic volatility to consumer engagement and iOS 26 call screening
  
  
  
• The rise of digital-first collections strategies and what’s holding back adoption of AI
  
  
  
• How Canada’s unique regulatory and cultural environment differs from the US,  and why that matters
  
  
  
• The role of RMA Canada in helping members navigate regulation, professional development, and industry collaboration
  
  
  

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

"We're either getting on board with AI or getting left behind. When things start moving at such a dramatic growth curve, what other option do we have?"

In this compelling discussion, industry veterans Adam Parks (Founder, Receivables Info) and Josh Foreman (CEO & Founder, InDebted) examine the critical strategic investments collection organisations must make to navigate the challenging economic landscape ahead — from AI adoption to digital communication strategies.

Key takeaways include:

• AI's accelerating adoption: The percentage of collection companies exploring AI saw a 40% increase in just one year. Despite initial skepticism, 61% of companies now find AI to be a worthwhile investment, with that number rising to 75% for larger companies.
  
  
• The shift to customer-centric collections: How collections has transformed from a performance-driven operation to an e-commerce business focused on customer experience, with some leading organisations now measuring consumer repeat purchase likelihood based on the collections organisation they interact with
  
  
• Economic warning signs: Analysis of TransUnion's data showing alarming trends in credit originations and consumer payment behaviors that signal potential market disruption exceeding 2008 recession levels
  
  
• Strategic workforce solutions: Practical approaches to talent challenges when 88% of companies report hiring difficulties, including technology augmentation to do more with less
  
  
• Digital communication imperatives: Why the shift to mobile (some agencies seeing 90% mobile traffic) and self-service options (88% now using payment portals) are no longer optional, but essential for survival in the new collections landscape

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

Why aren’t digital collections delivering the expected ROI for many organisations? In this candid discussion, industry veterans Scott Hamilton (CEO, ARM Tech Advisors), Kristyn Leffler (CPO, InDebted), and Josh Foreman (CEO & Founder, InDebted) share unfiltered insights about what actually works in modern collections technology.

Drawing from decades of collective experience, our speakers explore:

• The data disconnect: Why poor data hygiene and lack of business context between creditors and collectors continues to undermine even the most promising digital initiatives
• Mistakes to avoid: Common pitfalls that sink technology projects, from inadequate measurement to “side of desk” implementations that aren’t given proper resources
• The customer journey perspective: Why successful digital strategies must consider the entire experience rather than just implementing isolated channels
• Future opportunities: How AI, sentiment analysis, and real-time data aggregation are creating opportunities for organisations willing to invest in a more sophisticated approach
• Investment strategies that pay off: Why upfront analysis and proper integration are critical to digital success, and why patience and persistence are necessary to avoid abandoning initiatives prematurely

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

Digital transformation is reshaping collections, and organisations across the industry are adapting to stay competitive. From debt buyers to law firms, and third-party agencies to fintech companies — everyone's asking the same questions: How do we modernise effectively? When should we do it ourselves versus outsource and partner? And how do we maintain compliance while improving the customer experience?

In this insightful discussion, Mike Cassidy, COO of Velocity Portfolio Group, joins Josh Foreman, InDebted's CEO and Founder and Brad Bone, Managing Director (US) at InDebted, to explore:

• How emerging technologies like AI could transform both consumer experience and operational efficiency — and why establishing clear guardrails will actually accelerate innovation by giving organisations the confidence to adopt these tools safely

• Why education and understanding of new technologies is crucial before implementation, with real insights from industry leaders on what's working (and what isn't)

• RMAI's crucial role in industry education and advocacy, with Michael Cassidy sharing his vision as candidate for the RMAI Board of Directors

• Making the most of your data assets through strategic partnerships, and why trying to build everything in-house might be holding you back

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

What happens when a leading third-party collections partner joins forces with an enterprise-grade collections decisioning software provider ? Following InDebted’s recent acquisition of Receeve, this conversation explores how the two companies’ strengths complement each other to create something uniquely powerful in the collections space.

InDebted CEO Josh Foreman and Receeve Founder Paul Jozefak discuss:

• Next-generation collections: Building an enterprise platform that automates and visualises the entire collections process, moving beyond simple communication tools
  
  
• AI and automation: Why both companies prioritised AI capabilities from day one, and how this shared vision will help drive stronger performance at lower cost
  
  
• Complementary capabilities: Uniting Receeve’s first-party collections software with InDebted’s proven digital collections expertise to serve clients across the entire collections lifecycle
  
  
• Enterprise innovation: How enterprise organisations can take quantum leaps ahead in modernising their collections through smart orchestration layers that work with existing infrastructure, not against it
  
  
• Future opportunities: The potential to expand into managed services, responding to growing market demand for flexible, hybrid collection solutions

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

Recent developments in politics and regulatory frameworks are creating new considerations for the US collections industry. From Trump's return to the presidency to New York City's new debt collection requirements, organisations face both challenges and opportunities. But what do these changes mean for consumer outcomes and operational innovation?

In this timely discussion, InDebted's CEO and Founder Josh Foreman, and Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Laura White, share insights into:

• The power shift between federal and state regulators, and how this impacts collections strategy across different jurisdictions
  
  
• How new technologies could revolutionise consumer experiences — if regulations can keep pace with innovation
  
  
• Why well-intentioned consumer protection measures might actually be driving worse outcomes, and how to address this disconnect
  
  
• Critical lessons from markets where principle-based regulation is enabling better consumer outcomes and more innovative solutions

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

Join InDebted's CEO and Founder Josh Foreman in conversation with Kristyn Leffler, our newly appointed Chief Product Officer, as they explore her vision for product innovation and global growth at InDebted. With extensive experience in the US market and a passion for global expansion, Kristyn brings valuable insights into how InDebted can continue to innovate whilst delivering exceptional results for all stakeholders.

In this insightful discussion, Kristyn shares her perspectives on:

• Building data-driven product strategies that prioritise measurable impact over following market trends
• Leveraging AI technology to enhance agent capabilities whilst maintaining essential human oversight
• Structuring cross-functional product teams that combine technical expertise with business acumen
• Adapting solutions for different markets whilst maintaining core principles

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

Implementing new and innovative collections solutions is a big leap for many organisations. But there’s no time like the present, and customer preferences are clear - digital, personalised solutions are here to stay.

By diversifying your collections operation, you can improve your customer experience, minimise risk, and innovate your collections - all while maximising your recoveries to new heights.

Learn from someone who’s done it all before, as Justin Parker from 2nd Order Solutions (previously, Upstart, SoFi, Synchrony and CitiBank) joins this episode of Better Debt to share how you can:

• Vendor selection: How to know when it’s the right time to partner with an external agency, screen potential partners for alignment to your values & business goals, or diversify your existing collections panel to bring fresh expertise and try new ways of engaging customers
• Vendor management: How to drive performance through KPIs and healthy competition such as scorecard methodology for your collections partners
• Vendor strategy: How to implement a champion/challenger approach to put your existing suppliers to the test and compare digital and traditional channels

Watch the live recording of the episode here. 

#CollectionsPanel #Recoveries #BetterDebt

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where - you guessed it - we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.

Welcome to the Better Debt Series, where — you guessed it — we’ll be talking all things related to making debt collection better.