CRS 2026 Recap: Delinquencies, Operational Strain, and the AI Turning Point

I've attended the Collection and Recovery Solutions conference in Las Vegas for 13 years. And every year, I walk away with insights into the industry through thought-provoking sessions and honest discussions with attendees. This year was another for the books! The energy on the floor felt different: more urgent, more candid, and more focused on execution than theory.

Rising Delinquencies Are Reshaping Collections Strategy

It’s no secret everyone is facing rising delinquencies. It was the conversation that dominated every session and exhibit hall discussion. The question on everyone's mind wasn't whether they were facing them, but how they were actually managing through them.  

How are you making contact? How are you handling extended terms? What does recovery look like when volume keeps climbing and the margin for error keeps shrinking? The roundtables got honest fast, and that candor made for some of the most valuable conversations I've had at this show in years.

Operational Strain Is Pushing Lenders to Rethink How They Work

The capacity question led directly into the show's second major theme: operational strain. With lean teams stretched thin, many organizations are doing the most human thing possible: throwing more people at the problem. But the smarter conversation happening in the breakout sessions was about pausing, looking at the data, and asking whether there's a better way. Are your workflows actually built for the volume you're carrying today? Could the right automation free up your team to focus where it matters most? Those are the questions separating organizations that are surviving this environment from the ones that are starting to thrive in it.

AI Adoption in Collections Has Shifted From Question to Expectation

Of course, AI was the hottest topic at the show. But what struck me most was how the conversation has matured. A year ago, the question was whether to adopt AI at all. In 2026, it's what are you doing with it, and what are your results? The hesitation that once dominated these discussions has largely given way to urgency. If you're not adopting AI into your day-to-day, you're falling behind — and the gap is only widening. One line from the AI Impact on the Consumer and Creditor session stuck with me: AI shouldn't replace your processes, it should give you the visibility and the data to improve them. That's exactly the right framing.

How RecoveryConnect Helps Lenders Navigate Today's Challenges

These are the challenges MBSi was built for. RecoveryConnect gives lenders and collectors the platform, the automation, and the real-time data to navigate rising delinquencies, lean operations, and an industry that's moving faster than ever. And conversations like the ones I had with attendees at CRS 2026 are exactly how we make sure we stay ahead of it — alongside you.

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