Is it worth joining a private investigator association?

[RobMann]

Just wondering what people’s experiences are with joining a private investigator association.

I mean groups like:

• World Association of Detectives (WAD)
• National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS)
• Association of British Investigators (ABI)
• Institute of Professional Investigators
• and similar international or local PI associations

On the surface they offer credibility, networking, and directory listings. But in real life:

• Has anyone here actually had cases come through one of these directories?
• Do you get referral work from other members?
• Do the membership fees and annual dues ever pay for themselves, or is it just an extra expense?

For those who’ve tried it:

• Did it help with client trust or closing cases?
• Did you see a genuine return on investment?
• Which associations (if any) proved worthwhile?

Curious to hear if being part of a PI association is genuinely useful, or more of a badge for the website than anything else.