Working with a credit counsleor will help you pay off debt fast and manage your personal finances more efficiently. Our free credit advice is personalized to your unique situation.
The details on your credit report, like your credit score, directly impact your everyday financial well-being. Your credit score influences your ability to secure the best interest rates on loans, helps you qualify for housing, rentals or a mortgage, and even plays a role in obtaining employment for certain types of positions.
Your credit report can influence your ability to find housing, employment and secure a loan. Knowing your score and understanding your report are the first steps towards your financial health. Our certified financial counselors will guide you through your credit report, answer questions, and give personalized guidance towards improving your score.
Learn about the process of getting a bank account with BankOn. Learn all there is to know about opening a bank account and the responsible usage of the bank account.
Speak with a Debt Coach to review all your options and discuss the best strategies for getting debt relief. We’ll point you in the right direction, whether that’s DIY debt relief or a debt program, like Debt Management Plans or Debt Settlement.
Debt is common and manageable. Our certified financial counselors are standing by ready to answer your questions, provide guidance, and help you reach your financial goals. Speaking to one of our certified debt counselors is completely free. Our counselors will be able to review all of your options for getting out of debt and guide you toward the best path forward.
A financial counselor will help you determine whether a Debt Management Plan is your best path toward effectively managing debt levels. Once you enroll in a plan, we become your personal advocates, working closely with you and your creditors to pay off debt in a timely fashion.
Debt settlement is a process that allows you to pay off debt by paying a single lump sum that is lower than the total amount you owe. Settlements are achieved through negotiation between lenders and consumers or a third-party debt settlement company. Our counselors will help you assess if debt settlement is the best debt relief option for you.
Credit.org is an Executive Office for United States Trustees ‘EOUST‘ approved agency. Our experienced financial counselors work with people in all stages of their financial life, including the challenging decision of bankruptcy. Our cousnelors can help you obtain the certificate you need to file for bankruptcy or discharge debts in bankruptcy.
Credit.org offers expert student loan counseling to help you manage your education debt. Our certified counselors guide you through loan repayment options, consolidation, and strategies to alleviate student loan stress. Get personalized assistance to navigate your student loan journey and find the best solutions for your financial goals.
Whether you are current on your mortgage payments, experiencing a financial hardship, or ready to begin your homeownership journey, take action and reach out to a HUD Certified Housing Counselor today!
Work with our HUD Certified Counselors who will assess your current mortgage needs and help guide you to the options that are best suited for your specific situation.
If you are 62 or older, have equity in your home, and are considering a Reverse Mortgage loan, it is important to speak with one of our HUD Certified Counselors to understand the benefits and risk of this product.
Our award-winning counselors are here to help prepare you to own a home. We provide education, resources, and guidance to make your home buying process efficient, stress-free, and rewarding.
Don’t start your home buying journey without getting the facts first! Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or someone looking to get back into home ownership, you will need a well laid plan. Our HUD-approved Home Buyer Classes will help you navigate the home buying process and equip you with useful tools & resources for purchasing a home.
If you are seeking guidance regarding renting, call us to speak with one of our financial counselors who will help you develop a budget, create a detailed action plan, and who can provide you with local, statewide, and national resources.
Community Affordable Loan Solution™ is designed to create homeownership access for clients who have never envisioned themselves as a homeowner. Credit.org has partnered with Bank of America to assist first-time homebuyers with pre-purchase counseling and homebuyer education.
Credit.org has partnered with Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta to provide your pre-purchase or owner-occupied credit counseling.
Helping San Diego County, Riverside County & San Bernardino County residents CLIMB to financial freedom!
A lot of budgeting for the holidays centers on buying gifts and the like, but holiday meals and gatherings can present a real challenge for those who are trying to get by on a tight budget.
Six tips to save on Thanksgiving Dinner
We’ve got 6 tips for saving money on this year’s Thanksgiving Dinner:
Borrow what you need. Check with your nearby friends & family and if any of them will be traveling out of town, see if you can borrow things like extra place settings, cookware, etc. Before you buy anything additional to accommodate your guests, see if you can borrow it for free from a friend—and be sure to give them thanks!
Prepare in writing. Our standard advice for budgeting applies to planning a gathering like thanksgiving dinner—put everything in writing. Write out your goals, schedule, guests, etc. Then you can begin the work of planning your shopping, figuring out what everyone will bring, etc.
Let your guests contribute. On that last point, we assumed your guests would be bringing something to the gathering. Let them! If you have a written plan, you’ll be able to confirm what everyone will bring, and add that to your plan, too, so you know all of the bases are covered in advance. Every dish someone else brings is time and money you won’t have to spend, and an opportunity for them to help you have a great holiday.
Shop smart. We’ve offered lots of tips on smart shopping, and all of them apply just as readily during the holiday meal season: • Use coupons responsibly • Check the Sunday ads and mailers • Sign up for store emails- some stores don’t print a Sunday ad, but will email you discounts every week • Pair up with others and buy in bulk from a warehouse club • More tips!
Cut out the cocktails. Alcohol and/or wine will end up being one of the most expensive things to furnish at a gathering. Make yours an alcohol-free or BYOB affair.
Don’t break the bank on decorations. This is a once-per-year event, and there’s no reason to go on a spending spree for decorations. Spend some time on Pinterest and you’ll come up with budget decoration ideas that can save you a lot of money.
If you’re buying supplies for Thanksgiving dinner or another family meal and you have to use a credit card, you might be headed for trouble. Let us help. With free, confidential credit counseling we’ll give you a plan to pay off those credit cards and win back your financial freedom. Call us today!
Article written by
Melinda Opperman
Melinda Opperman is an exceptional educator who lives and breathes the creation and implementation of innovative ways to motivate and educate community members and students about financial literacy. Melinda joined credit.org in 2003 and has over two decades of experience in the industry.