Credit and Debt Management Counseling

Credit Counseling

If you are experiencing problems with credit issues, then help is just a phone call or e-mail away! Our certified counselors can provide confidential credit counseling on the following topics:

• How to obtain copies of your credit reports (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion)
• How to "clean up" your credit reports
• Understanding what your credit report says about you
• Helping you to reestablish credit
• The importance of a good credit score and how to improve yours
• The wise use of credit
• Understanding your rights as a consumer under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)
• How to avoid becoming a victim of Credit Identity Theft and Predatory Lending

Debt Management Counseling

If you are experiencing problems paying debts, are receiving creditor phone calls and letters demanding payment, and feel your situation is "hopeless," you can seek help through debt management counseling. Our counselors will try to assist you with handling debt repayment on your own. However, if your situation is more severe, it may be necessary to seek assistance through our Debt Management Program (DMP). Our DMP's serve the dual role of helping you repay your debts and helping creditors receive the money owed them. Our certified counselors can provide confidential debt management counseling on the following topics/issues:

• Set up a workable, realistic spending plan that is affordable for you and acceptable to your creditors
• Learn how to stay on track with spending to pay your monthly expenses and your debts
• Learn what creditors are willing to do for DMP clients regarding waiving or reducing interest rates, late payment and over the limit fees
• Help you cope with creditors and bill collectors
• Arrange a debt repayment plan that will enable you to become "debt-free"
• Understanding your rights as a consumer under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
• Participation in educational opportunities that will teach you ways to have a secure financial future by avoiding costly financial mistakes
• Learn why filing bankruptcy is referred to as "the 10-year mistake"

Not everyone is eligible to join the DMP. To see if you meet the requirements, contact us to schedule an appointment and for more information.

Both Credit and Debt Management Counseling sessions generally last about 1.5 hours. These one-on-one sessions may be conducted in-person, by phone/mail or via the Internet utilizing e-mail. Counseling fees are based on the client's ability to pay using a sliding fee scale based on income. Counseling fees may be reduced or waived in cases of hardship and no client is refused service due to the inability to pay a fee. DMP participants are asked to contribute a small monthly fee while in the program to help cover the cost of expenses related to handling their payments, i.e. postage, checks, electronic payments, etc. DMP fees may also be reduced or waived in cases of hardship.

A large portion of our funding comes from voluntary contributions from creditors who participate in Debt Management Programs (DMP). Since creditors have a financial interest in getting paid, most are willing to make a contribution to help fund CCCS in an effort to assist their customers. These contributions are usually calculated as a percentage of payments clients make through their DMP - up to 15% of each payment received. However, accounts with creditors are credited with 100% of the amount paid by clients and we will work with all creditors regardless of whether they contribute to CCCS.