Credit Managers' Index
Credit Managers’ Index
A Powerful Tool
Since its inception, the CMI has been a startingly accurate economic predictor, proving its worth most notably during the recession.
The CMI is created from a monthly survey of U.S. credit and collections professionals. The survey asks participants to rate whether factors in their monthly business cycle – such as sales, new credit applications, accounts placed for collections, dollar amount beyond terms – are higher than, lower than, or the same as the previous month. The results reflect the entire cycle of commercial business transactions, providing an accurate, predictive benchmarking tool.
CMI reports are released to the media the last business day of each month. If your business extends to other commercial businesses and you are located in the 50 US states and US territories, we encourage you to participate in the survey. NACM membership is not required.
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In the case of the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) it depicted an economy flirting with recession in the run-ip to the downturn, but seemed to have trouble committing. The overall PMI reading tiptoed around 50, recording 50.4, 49.9, & 50.7 in September, October, and November of 2007, respectively. It then dipped to 48.7 in December 2007, before hopping back up to 50.5 in January 2008, and eventually crashed to the 30s late in that year and in early 2009. During this period, the CMI mirrored the PMI on occasion, but altogether showed a remarkable sensitivity to the intricacies of the recession, resisting the month-to-month swings that seemed to characterize the PMI. For credit professionals looking for the expected economic trend of the next few months, they needed to look no further than the CMI.
2024 Survey Dates
