Frequently Asked Questions
What Does the Name "Consumer Credit Counseling Service" Mean?
That registered name is your guarantee of quality. As an accredited member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling(NFCC), we must maintain high standards of financial accountability, counselor certification, educational programs, and customer service to retain the registered name. As Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Yakima Valley, we serve the Central Washington, Columbia Basin, and the north Central Washington area from our regional office in Yakima.
Does CCCS Make Loans?
No. CCCS does not lend money or arrange for loans. We work with you to establish a Debt Management Program (DMP) that allows you to better manage your money and to eliminate bills rather than going deeper into debt. We show you how to budget without new loans. We represent your positive attitude to creditors who can provide concessions based on legitimate need and hardship.
What is a Debt Management Plan?
The Consumer Credit Counseling Service Debt Management Program is a standardized, nationally recognized program that provides individualized Debt Management Plan for individuals and families to provide positive means to repay debt and can act as an alternative to bankruptcy. The plan serves in a dual role: it helps you to repay your debt and allows creditors to receive the money that you owe them. National, regional, and local creditors receive your plan and, after approval, work with you through your CCCS team. You decide what steps you will take each step of the way.
Can You Get My Creditors to Stop or Reduce Finance Charges?
Yes. Many creditors do agree to make interest concessions while individuals are enrolled in a Debt Management Plan. This reduction is usually greater than they will offer you directly. These reductions in interest charges, fees, or penalties are because of their support for CCCS clients who are in trouble and have decided to do something serious about correcting the problem. Creditors do, however, reserve the right to grant, amend, or revoke any concessions.
Will Seeing You Hurt My Credit Report?
We are a confidential service. We do not report enrollment to credit reporting bureaus or anyone else. We notify creditors on your behalf to get plan approval only if you wish to start a Debt Management Plan. You may seek confidential counseling to weigh your options for as many times as you need. You may also come to any of our education workshops throughout Central Washington that are open to the general public.
Will My Employer Know I Have Gone to CCCS?
Our services are confidential. We only notify your Debt Management Plan creditors of your involvement with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Yakima Valley. As part of your plan, you may voluntarily exercise an option of wage assessment, if you wish. You can discuss that option directly with your counselor and determine if that is an option that suits your needs.
What Does Counseling Cost?
The agency's budget assessment and debt counseling are free. There are no charges. Counselors must be certified through a national agency and all counseling is strictly confidential. We provide this non-profit community service throughout Central Washington -- and it can be accomplished via phone or internet -- or you can set up a confidential "one-on-one" personalized session at any of our offices. These personal interviews often provide greater understanding of available options. Free and confidential evaluation sessions are offered as a community service providing consumers with opportunities to find financial and debt repayment solutions that are result-oriented. Counseling may be repeated at no cost as long as necessary or held in conjunction with an additional educational program. Counseling is provided as a community service throughout Central Washington -- and is available through regional and satellite offices. We also provide phone counseling. The initial budget assessment and counseling session may last a little over one hour. Generally, we encourage a personal appointment, but sessions can be accomplished by telephone or mail. A confidential questionnaire may be downloaded from our Internet page to get you started faster.
How Does Budget Assessment and Debt Counseling Work?
Free and confidential evaluation sessions are offered as a community service providing consumers with opportunities to find financial and debt repayment solutions that are result-oriented. Counseling may be repeated at no cost as long as necessary or held in conjunction with an additional educational program. Counseling is provided as a community service throughout Central Washington -- and is available through regional and satellite offices. We also provide phone counseling.
How Long is a Counseling Session?
The initial budget assessment and counseling session may last a little over one hour. Generally, we encourage a personal appointment, but sessions can be accomplished by telephone or mail. A confidential questionnaire may be downloaded from our Internet page to get you started faster. It's different from those who claim they can provide you a quick fix in less than 15 minutes. Our counseling covers all debt, not just partial debt. Our experience shows that quick fix programs which address only credit card debt are not as effective as thorough consideration of debt options. Counseling sessions may be voluntarily repeated as often as needed.
How Long Do I Have to Stay With CCCS?
Our programs are voluntary. The goals of our education, budget assessment, counseling, and administered debt-repayment programs are helping you regain control of your finances. You make the call. Some remain on programs through completion. Others take over their finances when they feel comfortable and debt has been reduced to a manageable level. Your counselor is available to help you make these decisions. CCCS also provides educational and counseling services for credit restoration following completion of programs. It is not unusual for someone who has become "debt-free" to accomplish a "refresher."
Is CCCS a Government Agency?
CCCS is a private non-profit 501(C) (3) organization registered in the State of Washington and a member of the National Foundation for Consumer Credit (NFCC), a national non-profit organization dedicated to accredited consumer education and credit counseling. We are not affiliated or supported by any government agency.
How is CCCS Funded?
Most funding comes from voluntary contributions made by businesses participating with CCCS in Debt Management Plans. We ask businesses to credit client accounts with 100% of the payment made through CCCS for full client credit. Clients are asked to make a contribution to defray administrative expenses, and that contribution may be waived partially or in total when the contribution interferes with the set-up of a Debt Management Plan. CCCS is committed to work with all creditors regardless of whether or not they contribute to the agency.
Who Do You Serve?
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Yakima Valley (CCCS) serves the Central Washington region -- Omak and Okanogan region, the Methow Valley, the North Columbia River area that includes Chelan and Brewster, Kittitas County, Moses Lake and its surrounding communities, Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, and the upper and mid-Yakima Valley reaching to Grandview. As a non-profit, we provide community-based educational and counseling services -- and, for those who voluntarily choose, administered debt management plans. We provide offices throughout Central Washington for personal counseling, have phone counseling available, and can provide initial contact through the Internet.
Is There Confidentiality if I Contact You Via E-Mail?
Yes, there is confidentiality. We do not sell e-mail contacts to third parties and assure you of privacy. You can help us preserve your confidentiality if you are not using your e-mail address. If you do not want us to reply to you using your e-mail address, say so in your message and offer us an alternative means to contact you. Privacy is part of our Internet policy. Information you submit to us using our questionnaire is through secured means that only we read. If you have further questions regarding this matter, you can contact us for fuller explanations.
Is Your Service the Same As a Consolidated Loan?
We do not give consolidation loans. But, we can through an individualized Debt Management Plan (DMP) that is worked out between you and a certified counselor consolidate your existing debt into a single, smaller monthly payment that you make through CCCS.
What Makes You Different From Other Debt Repayment Agencies On the Internet?
We do not speak for other agency strategies. We know from more than thirty years of experience in Central Washington that our strategy works.
We can confidentally point to critical differences that establish us as part of a National Financial Care Center Network in the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). We address all debt. Here are some critical questions you can ask to determine differences. Ask if all debt is considered. Ask agency credentials for debt-counseling. As members of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), we must be accredited -- and that accreditation becomes your guarantee of quality service. We are also part of the NFCC family of offices that promise you standardized, quality service wherever you are -- a network that concentrates not only on national creditors, but also maintains relationships with local and regional businesses. This means sound debt-counseling recognized by all levels of business -- at the national, local, and regional levels.
Therefore, we provide you quality service by thoroughly answering your questions and establishing means to repay debt through certified counseling knowledgable of all creditors. We share in national standards a Client Bill of Rights and services outlined at www.nfcc.org.
As a member of the NFCC network, we address all debt, not just a portion. We guarantee like other Neighborhood Financial Centers under NFCC that we will look at your entire debt with a goal of affordable repayment to local, regional, Federal, and national credit card creditors.
When all debt is addressed, a realistic repayment plan is established. We know from experience that partial repayment plans are likely not to succeed. We help you with a successful repayment path. Those in hardship can then find a solution rather than giving up on themselves and their families.
A full repayment strategy is a new start -- rather than the lose-lose position of bankruptcy. This solution is part of the NFCC network: one that has been established through years of trust between the creditors and the NFCC network of agencies, with all believing that people and families deserve an opportunity to get out of debt.
Why Choose CCCS of Yakima Valley?
- We understand local businesses as well as recognized value to national creditors. We handle all debt.
- We are a licensed non-profit operating in the State of Washington since 1971
- We are a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, the oldest financial counseling association.
- Our programs are accredited through the Council on Accreditation (COA) guaranteeing you quality, confidential service.
- We provide free counseling and low-cost, affordable debt management plans, recognizing the impact of cost on debt.
- We provide all levels of contact: in-person, by telephone, and through the Internet.
- We provide a Action Plan that is personally developed for you -- to meet your needs. This becomes the basis of our support of you -- whether through continued work with your assigned counselor or in a creditor-authorized debt management plan.
- Services are provided in Spanish and English.
- We provide "how to courses" on budgeting, use of credit, debt management and negotiation, prioritization. Education courses are open to the general public whether enrolled in a DMP or not. Our course, the nationally recognized Credit When Credit is Due is offered in English on Wednesday evenings and Spanish on Monday evenings in the Yakima office. Classes are open to the public and clients alike.
A Debt Management Plan can:
- Avoid Bankruptcy
- Reduce Time Needed to Repay Debt
- Reduce Debt to Income Ratios
- Improve or Rebuild Credit Rating
Dependent on creditor policies, we intercede with the creditor to stop collection calls, bring accounts current, reduce interest and fees, avoid wage garnishment. As part of our full disclosure, counselors address specific matters pertaining to personal debt for complete understanding of our programs/services.