Generating a Collection Letter

You can create, modify, batch print, individually print, and then image and retrieve collection letters. Portico lets you create standard letters for loans, shares, vendor credit cards and vendor mortgage loans using Microsoft Word and specific Portico bookmarks. You can even send a letter to a co-borrower or joint owner and print an envelope to mail the letter. Letters can be printed immediately or sent to the Letters Queue tab for printing and imaging to the Collections repository in Nautilus Essentials.

The Letters tab on the Collection Detail tab lets you generate a collection letter. To display the Collection Detail - Letters tab, click Debt Management within the Collections menu on the Portico Explorer Bar. On the Tickler File tab, double-click the member number or click the icon button in the Details column to display the Collection Detail tab for the account. Then, click the Letters tab.

How do I? and Field Help

To generate a letter, complete the following steps:

1. Select the letter to create from the Select Letter Template drop-down list.
2. Select the Include Envelope check box to print the corresponding envelope when you print the letter. Portico will select the Print Envelope check box on the Letters Queue tab.
3. If the letter should include one or more co-borrowers, select the check boxes in the Co-Borrowers grid. To mail a collection letter to the co-borrower address, select the Use Addr check box. If the co-borrower is also the owner of the loan, the Own check box will be selected.

Column Heading	Description
Select	If the letter should include one or more co-borrowers, select the check boxes in the Co-Borrowers grid.
Name	The name of the co-borrowers or joint owners on the account.
Own	If the co-borrower is also the owner of the loan, the Own check box will be selected.
Use Addr	To mail a collection letter to the co-borrower address, select the Use Addr check box.

4. If the letter should include collateral information, you can select up to 5 collateral records in the Collateral grid.

Column Heading	Description
Select	If the letter should include collateral information, you can select up to 5 collateral records in the Collateral grid.
Name	The name of the collateral. Length: 6 alphanumeric
Description	The description of the collateral. Length: 25 alphanumeric
VIN	The Vehicle Identification Number for the vehicle purchased. Length: 17 alphanumeric

5. If you would like to review the letter, click the collection letter icon to open the letter in Microsoft Word. You can customize or make one-time changes to a specific member letter in Microsoft Word, and Portico will retain the customized letter for printing and imaging. To save the customized letter to the Letters Queue tab, save the letter using a different file name. Then, close the letter in Microsoft Word.
6. To view and print the letter now, click the collection letter icon to open the letter in Microsoft Word. When you print the letter from Microsoft Word, Portico will automatically send the letter to the Letters Queue tab for imaging, and select the Printed check box. You can customize or make one-time changes to a specific member letter in Microsoft Word, and Portico will retain the customized letter for imaging. Print the customized letter to save the letter to the Letters Queue tab for imaging. When you close letter, Microsoft Word will ask if you want to save the letter. You do not need to save the letter, so click No. Click Save on the Letters tab. Portico will update the Letters Generated Code and Date fields and create an account-level collection note regarding the letter.
7. To send the letter to the queue for printing at a later time,click Save on the Letters tab. Portico will update the Letters Generated Code and Date fields, create an account-level collection note regarding the letter and send the letter to the Letters Queue tab.

If you wish to make permanent changes to the standard collection letter template in Microsoft Word, you can save the new letter template under a different file name, using the appropriate prefix. See Setting Up Collection Letters for more details.

You can use the same standard collection letter to send a letter to the primary owner and to the co-borrower. To mail a collection letter to the co-borrower address, select the check boxes in the Co-Borrowers grid on the Collection Detail – Letters tab. Then, select the Use Addr check box. Portico will automatically insert the co-borrower’s name where the PrimaryDebtor bookmark is included in the letter template. If the letter contains the CoBorrower01Name bookmark, Portico will insert the primary owner’s name in place of the CoBorrower01Name bookmark. Portico will also insert the co-borrower’s address where the FormattedAddress bookmark (or any other address bookmarks) are included in the letter.

The credit union assigns a three-character alphanumeric code to each collection letter that resides on your workstation. The collection officer can then select the delinquent loans or negative shares requiring a printed letter as well as the form number of the letter to print.

The Letters Generated group box displays the letter codes of the last five collection letters sent to the member and the dates that the collection letters were sent. When a collection letter is produced, the message LETTER NUMBER SENT: XXX BY OFFICER: XX will appear on the Notes tab.

An envelope can be printed for the collection letter if the following conditions are met:

• The collection letter is designed so that no other information appears on the same lines where the address information appears.
• A printer capable of printing envelopes is available.

Click Next to go to the next account listed on the Tickler File tab.