FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. General
  2. Membership
  3. My Member Profile
  4. Member Directory
  5. Payment
  6. Webinars
  7. Certification Courses
  8. Conferences
  9. Committees
  10. Education Groups

If you don't find an answer to your question in the list below, please contact info@ieca.net.

General:

What is the IECA?

The IECA or International Energy Credit Association is a non-profit association geared towards aiding professionals who are directly or indirectly related to the credit risk function in their respective company.

What does the IECA do?

The IECA provides a platform to aid professionals in the world of energy finance with everything from networking, to furthering education, to a forum for the exchange of ideas relevant to credit and financial management of the energy industry.  IECA helps its members navigate this complex business by promoting the education and understanding of credit and risk management in relation to energy commerce. 

Is the IECA international?

Yes! The IECA has members in over 15 countries across the globe and hosts educational and networking events in Canada, Europe & Asia. If you are interested in learning more about events and happenings in your area, please visit IECA Worldwide for more information.

How long has the IECA been around?

The IECA has been involved in the world of energy finance for almost 95 years and is one of the longest and most respected networks in the industry.

Membership:

What are the benefits of joining the IECA?

The IECA has a variety of different and unique benefits to make being a part of the organization as rewarding as possible for our members.  As a member you will receive discounts on almost all IECA events including the annual conferences, which offer a multitude of continuing educational programs free of charge to further expand your knowledge and keep you up to date on current events revolving around the industry. You also receive access to the expansive resource library which has past presentations, webinars, and other educational and informational materials at your disposal. You are provided with countless networking opportunities, including access to the IECA directory which has just been recently reorganized to be more robust and specific for easier networking- allowing the right people to find you. You will have the opportunity to join one of our many committees and interest groups to get more involved and stay up to date on relevant topics. You also receive pertinent IECA communications such as the biannual IECA Journal, IECA Insights, as well as invitations to networking opportunities worldwide.

Other benefits include scholarship opportunities, leadership programs, career opportunities, sponsorship options, tradeshow demonstrations, brand recognition and much more.

How do I qualify for membership?

Any member of the IECA has to be directly or indirectly related to the credit risk function in their company to qualify for membership. Members consist of any person employed by a company involved in the development, purchase, sale or transportation of energy such as with exploration, production, extraction, refining, manufacturing, storage, distribution, or purchasing, OR any person employed by a company that provides services or products to support credit risk functions of companies such as business intelligence, software, consulting, collections, trade finance, or legal services.

How do I join the IECA?

Joining is easier than ever! All members can conveniently join online and pay via credit card. By visiting the IECA website, one would just need to click on the “Join” button to start the process. If you believe your company qualified for the corporate discount, please contact info@ieca.net for your company's corporate discount code. You can also find all of the IECA membership forms here. 

We also offer offline payment options via paper application. If you need more information about applying this way, please contact info@ieca.net.

How does a corporate membership differ from a regular membership?

The corporate membership is actually just a term that refers to a discount offered to companies with five or more current members with the IECA.  Corporate membership costs $375 per membership as opposed to the regular amount of $425 per membership for companies with four or less current members. Benefits for all members are the same.

How do I qualify for the corporate discount?

To qualify for the corporate discount, your company must have FIVE or more current IECA members. If your company would like to add more members in order to qualify for this discount, please download the “Corporate Membership Application” located in the About IECA tab under Membership Forms. Once completed, please send this form to info@ieca.net. 

If my company qualifies for the corporate discount can I join online?

New this year, members that qualify for the corporate discount can now join online by using their company’s personal corporate discount code! During the join process, after you create a profile, you will be asked to select a membership type. Once you’ve selected between Regular or Corporate, there is a coupon box directly below the selections. Enter your company’s discount code there, and you will be billed at the corporate rate of $375.

If you need help locating your company’s discount code, please contact info@ieca.net.

My Member Profile:

I lost my password. How can I retrieve this?

Click on the “Forgot Username/Password” link located below the log in entry box. Enter your name and email address for retrieval. If you still seem to have trouble accessing your log in, please contact Tatiana Veres at tveres@ieca.net.

I have switched companies. Should I create a new profile?

No. A new feature this year allows any update you make to your profile automatically update in our database. In order to maintain an accurate history with the IECA, we ask that you keep the same profile and ID number throughout your entire membership with the association. You can update all your information to reflect any job, name, or position changes.

The only thing you are unable to change is your corporate family. Please contact IECA staff at info@ieca.net in order to have your parent company updated.

When I was creating my profile, I was asked for my “Corporate Family”. What is this?

The “Corporate Family” or "Parent Company" is the overall owner of all the divisions or subsidiaries of your company. For example, if you work for Platt’s, but Platt’s is a subsidiary of S&P, your parent company would be S&P. The Parent Company will not show in the directory and is solely an administrative tool to ensure the corporate discount is applied when fit. The company you input into your profile will be the company that shows up. So if you work for Hess North America, Hess would be your parent company, but Hess North America will show up in your profile.

How do I update my Corporate Family?

The Corporate Family or “Parent Company” needs to be changed by an admin due to the pricing attached to certain corporate families. It is very important to keep your corporate family updated so you can be located in the system and pulled into the correct reports.

Please contact IECA staff at info@ieca.net to update your corporate family.

I don’t want certain information displaying in my profile. Do I have to fill out all the fields?

Only the items that are double starred will show up in the member directory. The other demographic information is used purely as an administrative tool. Items like Age and Gender will not be public in your profile.

How do I change my username and password?

If you wish to have your username changed please contact info@ieca.net.

Member Directory

Does the IECA still send out member directories?

The IECA no longer prints and sends out paper directories. In an effort to go green and to be more cost-effective, we have eliminated the paper copy as much of the time the directory was out of date by the time it reached members.  Instead, the directory is available completely online to members only. 

Where can I find the member directory?

The directory is now completely available online and is constantly refreshed from our database to ensure the most accurate information. If you log in to your member account, you can go to the RESOURCES tab on the top of the screen, and drop down to MEMBER DIRECTORY, where you can then access the active IECA member directory. If the member has all their information listed, you can view their email, phone, company, bio and more. You are also able to search the directory by name, company, country or keyword. 

Do I have to be a member to view the directory?

Yes. The member directory is a Member’s only benefit. If you are interested in becoming a member, please click here.

Payment:

How do I obtain a receipt for a payment I’ve made?

At any time, you can print out a detailed receipt of payment directly from your profile. You would just need to log in and go to the MEMBER DASHBOARD tab on the top right of your screen. There you will see an "Invoice History" tab. Just click on that and it will bring you into your entire history. The most recent invoice will be at the top. You can click view order to view it, and then "print invoice" to print if a hard copy is needed. Your invoice history for United States and Online e-Learning courses is also visible on your member dashboard under the "invoice" tab. If you need an invoice for an international event attended, please contact the IECA office at info@ieca.net

If you need a receipt for a payment made for multiple members in a single transaction please contact info@ieca.net.

I’m having trouble printing my receipt. What should I do?

If you have trouble printing a receipt, try using a different internet browser. A few older versions of certain internet providers have trouble communicating with their print functions.

If you switch browsers and still have trouble, please contact info@ieca.net. Please note, in order to retrieve a receipt, administrators must access your login information and log into your member profile. If you need assistance or your invoice in a different format, please contact the IECA office. 

Can I pay for membership online?

Yes. Regular AND corporate members can conveniently pay online via credit card. All members should automatically be billed out at the correct rate. If you believe you are not being billed the correct rate, please contact info@ieca.net.

Can I pay for membership by check?

Yes, the IECA still accepts membership payments by check. Please mail any checks with its coinciding invoice to:

IECA
1120 Route 73
Suite 200
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

Can I pay for membership by wire?

Yes, IECA accepts wire transfers for payment. Please contact info@ieca.net for wire transfer details and instructions.

Is there a way to pay for multiple memberships at once?

As a corporate member, to pay for multiple memberships in a single payment, you would need to download the “Corporate Membership Payment Form”, which is located under the GET INVOLVED tab on the MEMBERSHIP & BENEFITS page. Please fill out all information and follow instructions for payment based on your preferred payment method.

As a regular member, to pay for multiple memberships in a single payment, please download the “Regular Multiple Member Payment Form” also located under the GET INVOLVED tab on the MEMBERSHIP & BENEFITS page. Please fill out all information and follow instructions for payment based on your preferred payment method.

Is membership prorated?

The IECA does not do prorated rates, Renewal rates and expiration dates are consistent for all members. One of the major benefits of membership is the immediate access to our member’s only section including our member directory, past documents, amendments, communications, and presentations. While it is constantly being updated, all previous material is still readily available to new members, so a member does not lose this by joining later in the year. The second greatest membership benefit is the discounts on the various IECA events. Most of these events have not happened, and even if they have the non-member rate generally includes the cost of membership. It is the best interest of the member and their own responsibility to join early in the year at renewal time so they have these valuable benefits throughout the year. 

My company requires an invoice in order for a check to be cut. How do I obtain this?

For a single membership payment, you can locate any invoice from your member profile; in the same place, you can obtain a receipt. Any unpaid account balance will show up in red indicating an amount is owed. You would just need to log in and go to the MY DASHBOARD tab. You will then be able to go to the "Invoice History" tab. Just click on that and it will bring you into your entire history. The most recent invoice will be at the top. You can click view order to view it, and then "print invoice" to print if a hard copy is needed.

If you require an invoice for multiple memberships in a single payment, please contact info@ieca.net.

I lost my password. How can I retrieve this?

Click on the “Forgot Username/Password” link located below the log in entry box. Enter your name and email address for retrieval. If you still seem to have trouble accessing your login, please contact Tatiana Veres at info@ieca.net.

Webinars:

How do I sign up for a webinar?

A registration link will be posted on our website and included in webinar email promotions. Once registered for the webinar, members will always get a confirmation link from the provider to access the webinar.

Do I need to log in to my member profile on the IECA website to sign up for a webinar?

Once you log into your IECA account at IECA.net, you will automatically be able to register for the IECA webinars for FREE. If you are having trouble logging in, or once you log in are still being prompted to pay, please contact Jessica Hall at jhall@ieca.net.

What kind of webinars does the IECA offer?

The IECA offers a variety of different webinars throughout the year on various and current topics relevant to our members. Past webinars have included such topics as: IECA Dodd-Frank Act Representations and Reporting Amending Agreement, IECA Amendment Adopting, Incorporating and Amending the ISDA August 2012 DF Supplement, Large Trader Reporting for Physical Commodity Swaps and Reassessing the Economic Outlook. IECA's education groups also put on webinars on different topics such as Unconscious Bias in the Workplace (presented by PDIG) or Potential Future Exposure Basic Calculations (presented by DEPG). 

Where can I find out about upcoming webinars?

IECA staff will send out communications regarding upcoming webinars prior to the opening of registration. We will also post announcements to the IECA website.

Is there a cost for signing up for a webinar?

There is currently no cost for members to partake in a webinar. Depending on the speaker or topic of the webinar, this may be subject to change. Webinars are $35.00 for non-members. Also avialble now are IECA Live-Recorded Sessions from our conferences and events. These are also FREE for Members and $35.00 for non-members. You can access these on our IECA ONLINE LEARNING portal. 

Do I have to be a member to sign up for a webinar?

Most webinars are members only. Occasionally, and depending on the webinar, non-members will be invited to partake. Please keep in mind there may be an additional fee required for non-members to participate in IECA webinars.

I missed an important webinar I wanted to attend. Is there any way to view a past webinar?

All past webinars are posted to the IECA website in the resource section within two weeks after the webinar occurs. The IECA Resource Library is found under the RESOURCES tab. You must be a member to access the resource section and view past webinars. You can also view all of our archived webinars and recorded sessions on our new ONLINE LEARNING portal, also located under the RESOURCES tab. 

Certification Courses:

Do I have to be a member to sign up for the courses?

You do not have to be a member to sign up for the courses but there will be an additional fee to sign up as a non-member.

What are the benefits of taking the certification courses?

The Credit Risk Management Certification Program is primarily designed to give members a broad and comprehensive understanding of the basic core principals of credit risk management. The training has been tailored for basic to intermediate level credit professionals and will also serve as a great refresher for the more experienced credit professionals. It provides an official certificate of continuing education. You can simultaneously expand your knowledge of current and relevant topics while also enhancing your resume, and networking with like-minded professionals.

When and where are the courses offered?

Courses are located at a variety of locations throughout the year. There is a course offered at each conference, as well as several educational sessions at varying times. Communications will be sent out as to course location and content prior to the open of registration. Please check the events page for upcoming course listings.

What kind of courses are there?

Course topics vary, but generally focus on current and relevant topics to the industry. Past topics have included: Fundamentals of Energy Contract Administration, Fundamentals of Bank Credit Risk Analysis and Corporate Credit Rating Risk Analysis.

How do I sign up for a course I am interested in?

Registration for all courses can be done through the IECA website. To register for a course, please visit the Events page located here. Communications will be sent out before registration goes live on the website. If you are having trouble registering for a course, please contact tveres@ieca.net.

I attended a course. When will I get my certificate of attendance?

Certificates from the Credit Risk Management Certification Program will be sent from Moody’s. You will receive this certificate directly from Moody’s. Please give at least one-month leniency for arrival.

If you would like a certificate for CPE, CLE, or CE credits completed while at an educational seminar, please contact IECA staff at info@ieca.net. Total credits completed will be emailed to each member, but a certificate including course breakdown is available upon request.

How do I get my completed courses listed in my profile?

Courses need to be added by an administrator in the system. Certifications will be added to your profile within two weeks after course completion.

If you feel courses are missing that should be listed in your profile, please contact info@ieca.net.

Conferences:

What are the benefits of attending the conference?

Through a series of seminars and networking events compacted into a several day span, each conference allows members to gain up to date education and a forum for the exchange of ideas relevant to credit and financial management of the energy industry. Each event location is hand picked to provide the most optimum space to accommodate activities ranging from educational sessions, networking dinners, and receptions, to optional activities like golf tournaments, scenic tours, or other social events. 

If you have any additional questions in regards to a specific upcoming conference or event, please contact tveres@ieca.net.

When are the conferences?

Conference dates are listed on the website under the “Events” tab. Dates range from year to year. Other events are also listed in this section as they are added.

Where are the conferences?

Conference locations vary from year to year. Generally, there are four major conferences: one in Canada, one in Europe, and two in the United States. Conference locations can also be found on the “Events” page of the website. If you are looking for a location of a conference in a specific region, you can also visit the IECA Worldwide tab, and look under the relevant region.

How do I sign up for a conference?

Conference sign-ups will be available online a few weeks up to a few months before the actual dates of the conference. Email communications will be sent out prior to registration being activated on the site. If you require a paper registration application for any reason, please contact tveres@ieca.net.

Where can I find the presentations from past conferences?

All presentations from past conferences are located in the resource section of the website. Presentations will be uploaded within a few weeks after a conference ends. You must be a member to access the resource library.

How do I get a receipt for my conference registration?

Conference registration receipts can be obtained the same way a membership receipt is obtained. At any time, you can print out a detailed receipt of payment directly from your profile. You would just need to log in and go to the MEMBER DASHBOARD tab on the top right of your screen.  You will then see the "Invoice History". Just click on that and it will bring you into your entire history. The most recent invoice will be at the top. You can click view order to view it, and then "print invoice" to print if a hard copy is needed.

Committees:

What kind of networking groups or committees does the IECA offer?

The IECA has groups and committees for a variety of interests. There are regional groups such as the Canadian Regional Education Group or European Regional Education Group that discuss and enhance developments relevant to their specific regions. There are educational groups such as the Contracts and Legal Education Group (CLEG), Developing Energy Professionals Education Group (DEPG), Professionals for Diversity and Inclusion Group (PDIG) and the Credit Analytics Education Group (CAEG). These education groups discuss current and developing topics within their specific educational interest group. There are also interest committees such as the Technology Committee, Marketing and Communications Committee, and Membership Committee. View all of IECA's INTEREST EDUCATION GROUPS, REGIONAL EDUCATION GROUPS and COMMITTEES.

The best way to get more involved in the IECA is to join a committee or working group based on your individual interest. This will keep you abreast of developing and current issues or updates relevant to your particular interests.

Another way to get involved would be to consider joining the IECA’s Board of Directors. This will allow you to provide insight and opinions on the association’s present and future plans for advancements.

I want to get involved, but I’m worried about the time commitment.

The IECA values your participation and willingness to get more involved no matter how much time you are able to devote. Many of our groups are very low commitment with conference calls a few times a month or less, and actual face to face meetings only a few times a year. No matter what group you wish to join, your amount of personal involvement is up to you. We appreciate your help no matter how much or how little you are able to contribute.

What are the benefits of joining a group or committee?

Joining a committee will keep you up to date on current events relevant to your particular interests. You will be able to discuss your ideas, opinions, and any new developments with professionals who share your particular passions. You will be able to help shape and provide insight into how the IECA grows as an association. Joining an IECA committee is also a great way to network with likeminded credit professionals, help develop your leadership skills, and enhance your resume within the industry. If you would like more information about volunteering, check out the IECA Volunteer page.

Education Groups:

What are the Education Groups?

The four education groups are listed below: 

  • Credit Analytics Education Group (CAEG)
  • Contracts and Legal Education Group (CLEG)
  • Developing Energy Professionals Group (DEPG)
  • Professionals for Diversity and Inclusion Group (PDIG)

If you would like to learn more about any of these education groups, please visit the EDUCATION GROUP drop down menu. 

Why do I have to join an education group?

The IECA has a mission to offer relevant and timely education to its members. To help enhance the programs already in place, the IECA wants to encourage all members to sign up for one or more of the specific Education Groups in order to better cater to everyone's educational needs. The purpose of the Education Groups is to help design education programs for conferences and seminars, create more specialized communications based on relevance, and improve networking by grouping together members with common interests. By joining, the IECA gets a better idea of the educational needs of our members. 

Is there a time commitment to joining the education group?

The education groups are very low commitment and so you can give as much or as little time as you are able. The Education Group is simply a means to identify and communicate with members having a common interest. Any IECA member can join the education group to be kept "in-the-loop" on the groups' initiatives and events throughout the year. The Education Group committee has a slightly higher commitment level than the group and helps to develop content based on the group's needs. The committees are made up of a smaller cross-section of volunteers who will be helping to develop content and manage the direction of the education groups. If you are interested in being a part of an Education Group's committee, contact the Committee's chair. You can view all committee chairs and more about each education group under the EDUCATION GROUPS drop down menu bar, or the special interest committee leadership under the COMMITTEES page.

Volunteering and finding the right fit for you is now easier than ever! IECA's new Volunteer Portal allows you to see all open positions and you can even sort by committee, type of volunteer activity or time-commitment! View all the open positions and ask about IECA involvement here. 

What are the benefits of joining an education group?

By joining an educational group, you will be able to receive the most up to date information that is relevant to your interest, network with industry professionals with similar pursuits, and be the first to learn about new educational activities pertinent to you. The IECA will feature special receptions, events, and programs throughout the year to accommodate the various areas of interest for each of the Educational Groups. 

I'm not sure which group I should select. What should I do?

A full description of each group is located here. If you are still unsure and would like more information, contact either the education group's chair or info@ieca.net.