Fall 2015 Research Fellowship Program Focusing on the Government Sector

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Kaulkin Ginsberg, the leading consultancy and M&A advisory firm specializing in the accounts receivable management (ARM) industry, began the fifth semester of its Research Fellows Program earlier this month in conjunction with the University of Maryland, College Park’s Department of Economics. Fellows will focus their research on U.S. government bad debt at the state and municipality levels.

This 10-week program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to work in groups to collect high-level data for executives in the ARM industry. In the past, this research has been incorporated into Kaulkin Ginsberg’s market reviews and reports. Some of the market segments the program has covered in the past include healthcare, student lending, financial services, and telecommunications.

Government collections is an area Kaulkin Ginsberg has observed grow as more states and municipalities turn to third-party specialists to serve non-core business functions and  combat rising administrative costs, which is why proctors decided to focus on this area for the fellows’ research.

“A government’s ability to collect debt obligations like taxes or court fines is an essential component of a well-functioning system,” Mike Ginsberg, President and CEO of Kaulkin Ginsberg, said. “Fellows will size up the market, explore the rules and regulations that govern it, and analyze the economic impact of collection agencies on local government operations so we can project future revenue potential for ARM companies.”

This semester’s fellows will also have the opportunity to learn about government careers for economics majors. Guest speakers from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FED) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will attend class one night to discuss the roles they play within their organizations and the paths the fellows might want to take after graduation.

Michael Thomas, an associate at Kaulkin Ginsberg, participated in the fellows program during the spring 2014 semester and now acts as its supervisor. He said adding the government career day to the curriculum this fall was a no-brainer.

“Deciding on a post-graduation career is nothing short of stressful and nerve-racking,” Mr. Thomas said. “Our goal is to provide fellowship students with insight into potential careers, and to help them build professional contacts with what could be a future employer.”

For more information about the Research Fellows Program, please contact Michael Thomas at mthomas@kaulkin.com.

About Kaulkin Ginsberg

Since 1989, Kaulkin Ginsberg has provided strategic advisory services to the accounts receivable management (ARM) industry and middle-market companies in the D.C. region. Owners, executives, investors, and professionals rely on Kaulkin Ginsberg for the insight, access, and information needed to make critical decisions. In keeping with their mission to be the most knowledgeable and trusted advisors to the outsourced business services (OBS) community, Kaulkin Ginsberg and the University of Maryland’s Department of Economics launched the Research Fellowship Program in 2013 to help students understand the importance of high-end research in the professional world. For more about Kaulkin Ginsberg, please visit www.kaulkin.com.

About the University of Maryland’s Department of Economics

The University of Maryland’s Department of Economics is ranked in the top 20 economics program in the country in the most recent National Academy of Sciences study. The department has about 40 faculty members. The size and diversity of the faculty permits study in virtually every major theoretical and applied area of economics, including advanced macro and micro, comparative institutional economics, econometrics, economic development, economic history, environmental and natural resource economics, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, political economy, and public economics.