TAMPA, Fla. -

The next online continuing education offering from risk management and training provider Recovery Industry Services Company (RISC) is geared to prepare recovery agency owners and agents to comply with federal regulations for protecting consumers’ nonpublic personal information (NPPI).

In addition to covering Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requirements specific to third-party disclosure of NPPI, the new course also examines the growing role of social media in the repossession process.

RISC highlighted the course is priced at $49 through April 7, a discount of 50 percent off regular pricing.

 “Professionals in the collateral recovery industry face an array of complex and fast-changing challenges, from rising insurance rates to lender compliance mandates and federal consumer protection regulations,” said RISC president Stamatis Ferarolis, a licensed training instructor for collateral recovery specialists across the nation.

“In such an environment, it’s critical that recovery agents and agency owners continually advance their knowledge and understanding of the latest industry developments,” Ferarolis continued.

The CE 11 course provides recommended procedures for protecting NPPI from unauthorized third-party disclosure during the repossession process, specifically relating to address verification (residence and place of employment), contact procedure (other than debtor) and skip-tracing.

Additionally, the course outlines how social media can affect the repossession process, such as:

• Potentially violating an individual’s privacy rights through the disclosure and/or dissemination of personal and/or disparaging information online.

• Determining insurability, in part, through a review of an individual’s social media postings, including comments and photos.

Ferarolis pointed out RISC’s suite of continuing education courses has been developed to comply with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and finance company mandates across a range of specialty areas, including field recovery procedures, data security and the Uniform Commercial Code.

All courses are offered 100% online, including final testing, and a certificate is issued upon successful completion of each of the 11 continuing education courses. The training provided is applicable in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico.

“Our goal in developing certification and Continuing Education courses is to ensure collateral recovery professionals continue to serve their clients effectively, while complying with state and federal regulations that impact the repossession process,” said Ferarolis, co-author of the Field Recovery Specialist Operations Manual.

To learn more about RISC’s continuing education programs and other services, e-mail support@RiscUS.com, call (866) 996-7472 or visit www.RiscUS.com.