1. What exactly is Consumer Credit Counseling
Service?
Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) is a private,
non-profit, community-supported, United Way agency dedicated
to helping people solve their financial problems. We offer
FREE, confidential budget, credit and housing counseling.
2. How do I make an appointment?
Consumers can call and request a free counseling appointment
with one of our professional, certified counselors to review
expenses, income and spending habits. CCCS services are
entirely confidential; no one else will know about your
financial troubles, concerns or plans. CCCS works directly
with you and, if you want, your creditors. Call our office
to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors. Appointments
are available (days and evenings) for in-person or telephone
counseling. Within North Carolina call us toll free at 1-800-737-5485.
Out-of-state, (828) 255-5166.
3. How can you help me pay my bills?
For consumers who are financially overextended, we offer
a debt repayment program to help you repay unsecured creditors.
Many creditors will reduce or waive interest charges and
other charges when payments are made through CCCS.
Click here for more about the Debt Repayment
Plan
4. What other services does CCCS provide?
In addition to financial counseling, DRPs, and housing counseling,
CCCS provides educational opportunities. Our education department
offers free and low-cost workshops for employee groups,
schools, civic groups, church groups, or other groups who
may be interested, on topics such as Budgeting, Money and
Credit Management, Smart Money for Teens, as well as offering
a regular monthly 3-part series called Manage Your Money
(Stop Laughing! It's Possible...). We also participate in
local housing education programs.
Click here for more about our Education
Programs
5. How is Consumer Credit Counseling Service
funded?
The agency is a member of the National Foundation for
Consumer Credit. CCCS is funded by local United Ways, local
governments, HUD grants, and contributions from creditors,
clients, and area businesses.
6. What is the Debt Repayment Program?
The Debt Repayment Program (DRP) is a way for CCCS to
help you work with your creditors. If your income doesn't
cover your bills, CCCS may be able to work with your unsecured
creditors, to get your monthly payments down to a manageable
size.
Creditors respect CCCS and our Debt Repayment Program (DRP).
Your participation shows that you are committed to resolving
your financial difficulties and that you intend to pay your
debts.
7. How does the DRP work?
In the DRP you make monthly deposits to the CCCS trust
fund so that CCCS may forward monthly payments to the creditors
in the amount that they have agreed to.
Creditors have established guidelines as to the type of
concessions that they will provide to a customer. While
specific policies vary by creditor, generally you can expect
the following to be true for accounts paid through DRP:
During your first appointment, your Financial
Counselor will review your income, living expenses and debts
to help you determine if you have enough income to meet
basic living expenses (i.e., housing, transportation, food,
utilities, medical, etc.) and participate in the DRP.
If your income will support your basic living expenses and
the reduced payments through the DRP you may choose to use
the DRP. Your counselor will work with you to determine
the date for your initial deposit and will explain more
about the DRP program.
If your income will not cover your basic living expenses
and debt payments, decreasing some living expenses and/or
increasing income may bring your budget into balance. You
and your counselor can discuss ideas and strategies during
the counseling session.
8. How do I set up my DRP right over
the 'Net?
Click here to go right
to the DRP forms
If you would like to set up a DRP from the privacy of your
own home, go to "DRP SetUp" and you will receive
step-by-step instructions for entering your financial information.
After you have submitted your forms, a CCCS financial counselor
will review them and contact you to complete the set-up
and let you know the amount of your monthly DRP deposit.
Signed authorizations forms and copies of your creditors'
most current statements would need to be mailed to our office
along with your money order or official bank check for your
first deposit.
9. How does a Telephone DRP work?
If your primary objective is to arrange a payment program
with your unsecured creditors, and you don't want to review
your total financial situation, the Debt Repayment by Telephone
may be the program for you.
After you give your Financial Counselor a list of the debts
you owe and the balances, your counselor will calculate
our best estimate of the minimum acceptable payment for
each of the creditors. If you choose to use the DRP the
total of the payments would be the amount of your monthly
deposit to the CCCS trust account.
Because your counselor does not review your entire budget
with the Debt Repayment by Telephone, he/she will rely on
you to determine if you have sufficient income to pay your
basic necessities (i.e. housing, transportation, food, medical,
utilities, etc.) and the minimum DRP payment.
10. What is CCCS' relationship to the
creditors?
The CCCS DRP serves the dual role of helping you repay you
debts and helping your creditors receive the money owed
them. Most of our funding comes from voluntary contributions
from creditors who participate in the DRP. Since creditors
have a financial interest in getting paid, most are willing
to make a contribution to help fund our agency. These contributions
are unusually calculated as a percentage of payments (Up
to 15% of each payment received). However, your accounts
with creditors are to be credited with 100% of the amount
you pay through us. We will work with all of your creditors
regardless of whether they contribute to our agency.
11. How long will it take to repay
my debts on the DRP?
While the length of time it takes you to repay your debts
will depend on the total you owe, the amount you are able
to pay, your consistency in paying and the policies of your
creditors, CCCS clients who utilize the DRP typically repay
their debts over a 48 to 60 month period. After we receive
responses from all your creditors verifying payment arrangements,
interest concessions (if any), and late/overlimit fee concessions,
we will provide a payout projection/estimate for your DRP.
12. I can usually pay my bills on time,
but there's never anything left at the end of the week.
Do I need Budget Counseling?
A realistic budget is the key to controlling your finances.
If you're not meeting the goals you've set for yourself
financially, we can help. A financial counselor can help
you establish personal financial goals and help you set
priorities. They will give you the time, attention and guidance
you need to prepare a monthly budget and to become a sound
manager of your personal finances.
13. I'd like to own a home of my own.
Can CCCS help me reach that goal?
Yes! CCCS can lead you through the confusing process of
buying your own home. Pre-purchase counseling and homeownership
classes can help make your dream come true. As a member
of the Affordable Housing Coalition of Asheville and Buncombe
County, we participate in the Homeownership series they
offer to first time homebuyers. Our counselors are available
for individual pre-purchase counseling to help you prioritize
saving for a down payment or paying down debts.
14. I'm afraid of losing my home due
to financial stress. Can you help?
We are certified by the US Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) to provide comprehensive housing counseling.
If you are behind with your rent or mortgage payment, call
CCCS for help. Most mortgage companies will work with borrowers
over a 3- to 6-month period to get a mortgage up to date.
15. Someone told me about reverse mortgages.
He said I could make money from my home while I still live
here. Is that possible?
There are several programs that allow older homeowners (over
62) to make use of their home's equity without having to
move out. Our HUD- and State-certified reverse mortgage
counselor can help you decide if you're qualified to participate
in such a program.
16. I'd like to work with you, but
I'm a little anxious about committing.
Sometimes it's difficult to decide it's time to make a change.
We can't promise we can solve all your financial problems,
but here's what we can promise:
When you work with CCCS (in person, on the net, or by phone),
we promise that you will be treated with courtesy and respect.
Our professional staff and trained volunteers are dedicated
to helping you re-gain control of your finances. Our services
are absolutely confidential, and they're offered free of
charge to everyone in our service area.
It's important to know that we believe very strongly in
abiding by our Code of Ethics, which states that: CCCS is
dedicated to providing confidential, professional financial
counseling and money management assistance to financially
distressed families and individuals regardless of race,
creed, color, sex, age, social position or financial status.
17. Where are your offices located?
Our main office is in Asheville, North Carolina, as 50 South
French Broad Avenue, Suite 212, Asheville, NC 28801. We
are open 8:50-5:00 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and
until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. We also have
a branch office in Hendersonville, North Carolina, at 722
Fifth Avenue West (in the United Way building). Appointments
are available in Hendersonville every Monday and Tuesday.
We maintain satellite offices at the following sites
in Western North Carolina:
Buncombe County - Black Mountain - 1st and 3rd Friday
of the month, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cherokee County -First Citizen's Bank - 2nd
and 4th Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Harrah's (Harrah's employees) - 1st and 3rd Thursday,
9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Haywood County - Waynesville - 4th Monday and 2nd
Tuesday of the Month, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Henderson County - Hendersonville - Mondays & Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
Jackson County - Sylva - 4th Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Macon County - Franklin - 1st and 3rd Tuesday of
the Month, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
McDowell County - -Marion - 1st and 3rd Monday of
the Month, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Transylvania County - Brevard - 2nd Monday of the Month, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Pisgah Forest - 4th Friday of the Month, 9:00 A.M.
TO 2:00 P.M.
Watauga, Avery, & Ashe Counties - Boone -
1st Thursday of the Month, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
All counseling appointments are made through the Asheville
Office. To make an appointment, call (828) 255-5166 or 1-800-737-5485.
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