Financial Counseling & Education

We want to hear from you. If you are hesitant to fill out the entire application at this time, just fill out the general information and send it to us. We will contact you. The worksheet is just that: a tool that gives your counselor necessary information in order to understand your full financial picture. It is also a starting place for you. Much of this is information you will need to locate before your appointment in order to have a successful meeting with your counselor.

Those…

• who want to have better control of their finances
• living paycheck to paycheck
• with ever increasing balances on their credit cards
• who struggle to make even the minimum payment on their credit cards
• experiencing a life changing event such as marriage, divorce, birth of a child, new job or job loss
• transitioning into retirement

First you’ll discuss your goals with your counselor. Then the two you will work together on an action plan that will lead to you achieving those goals by reviewing your entire financial picture: Income and Expenses; Assets and Liabilities; and a Review of your credit report.

To order your free credit report:

Website:   www.annualcreditreport.com

Phone:      1-877-322-8228

Note: If you request your credit report online, you will be asked a series of questions that only you can answer. Do not be afraid to select “None of the above” if the answer truly is, “None of the above”.   If your request for an online credit report is denied, you will be directed to either call or write a request for your credit report. You may never know why. Again, do not be afraid; just follow the instructions for phoning in or writing a request for your credit report.

How to improve your score:

• Pay all bills on time
• If you have missed a payment on an account, catch up with your payment(s)
• Keep balances low on credit cards – less than 30% of what you are allowed to charge
• Pay off your debt instead of moving it around
• Do not close your oldest account
• Do not get any new credit
• Shop for mortgage or car loans in a short period of time

This is a general idea of what is included in your credit score. There are far more variables than this graph indicates but this provides a good idea of the major variables.

Bad credit can hurt in many ways. We all know that bad credit will cause us to pay higher rates for mortgages and car loans. We may even be turned down for credit. But there are other ways poor credit impacts our lives:

• Job applications: Almost 50% of companies say they run a credit check on job applicants before they hire them, and bad credit can cause you to be turned down for a job. (Note: Employers can pull credit reports but not credit scores.)
• Utilities: Many people are surprised to learn that utilities check your credit before extending service. Bad credit may cause you to have to put down a hefty deposit before service starts, where no deposit will be required for those with good credit. Cell phone and cable providers frequently check credit before extending service.
• Elective medical procedures: If you have a medical procedure that is not covered by insurance, bad credit may cause you to have to pay your bill in full before the procedure, rather than being offered a monthly payment plan.
• Car loans: Not only does a low score force you into a higher rate, but you might even pay more for your car. A study by the Consumer Federation of America found that buyers with the lowest credit paid an average of 3.5% more for their car than did people with better credit.
• Car insurance: Many insurance companies use credit to determine both initial eligibility and what premium will be. The worse your credit score, the higher the premium.
• School loans: Bad credit can cause you to be turned down for school loans. There are no options here; you are either approved or denied.