The March 10 year T-notes have been in a strong uptrend for past two years, having benefitted from weakened U.S. economy. First, crash of technology sector along with declining corporate profits pushed investors into Treasuries. Then, events of September 11th dealt a serious blow to economic outlook, giving T-note prices another boost. Now however, after eleven interest rate cuts, investors are starting to anticipate a recovery and Fed is not likely to be concerned if a little inflation shows up. The Fed's current mission is to get this economy rolling again and that is not a good scenario for T-notes. Technically, a close in March T-notes below 103.50 would be significantly bearish.

In big picture, higher metals prices, a weaker U.S. dollar, and falling Treasury note prices could be start of higher commodity prices in general. 1986, 1992, 1998, and 2001 were all terrible years for commodity prices. The following years, however, proved to be highly profitable. Will 2002 be same? As always, there are no guarantees. Have a Happy New Year!

Dailyfutures.com. January 1, 2002.

Part Three: The Dun - Once your questioning has given you information you need you can show debtor a way in which he or she can pay debt. You know, for instance, that he can afford to put it on his MasterCard, or that she could qualify for a bank loan. Now you’re in position to make your demand for payment (the dun).

Part Four: The Close - Whether or not debtor has agreed to pay there is also a specific way you should end call. And I don’t mean, “Gee, thanks, have a nice day!” or “You’ve got your nerve!” Use an open-ended question designed to put debtor on spot; something like “Do I have your word on that?” If he has refused to pay or continues to dodge and delay remind him of how serious situation is; make it clear that problem must still be resolved. Be professional; don’t insult him. Save any threats of legal action until you’ve contacted debtor several times without success and see no other option. Never threaten legal action unless you fully intend to follow through, otherwise you can be accused of harassment.

Collection calls are a necessity in bill collecting. Making effort to learn and use as many techniques as you can will bring results and increase t he bank balance of your business.