Consumer Debt Counselors

Consumer Debt Counselors provides financial counseling and education and promote financial wellness to underserved american families. The organization is a member of the national foundation for credit counseling (nfcc), is an accredited member of the better business bureau with an a+ rating, and has an iso 9001:2015-certified quality management system. Clients who book an appointment with a certified credit counselor complete a detailed financial review. They work with their counselor to define their financial goals, establish a budget, and create an action plan to achieve them. All financial counseling is provided at no cost to our clientele. Generous grants from community partners supply funding. Some clients who undergo financial counseling may enroll in a Debt management program (dmp), which allows creditors to recover total outstanding balances while negotiating concessions like lower interest rates to ensure clients can repay their debts without additional financial difficulties. During the 2022 fiscal year, Consumer Debt Counselors conducted 571 financial counseling sessions in person, online, and over the telephone. In the same period, 413 clients started a new dmp, and 240 clients successfully completed a dmp.

Consumer Debt Counselors seeks to be a trusted and respected voice for Consumer financial education and problem resolution in our communities. One of our primary focus areas is community outreach. Since 2015, Consumer Debt Counselors has been a proud sponsor of jewish family services of greater orlando's (jfs orlando) family stabilization program (fsp). The fsp is a preventative, six-month case management program designed to help families obtain self-sufficiency by teaching them critical skills and tools to resolve crises and avoid future hardships while achieving long-term stability. The program's primary objectives are to improve financial management skills, employability, family stability, and mental health and to maintain or improve housing. This is accomplished by providing clients with various supportive services at no cost to participants. Consumer Debt Counselors provides workshops on crisis budgeting, rebuilding credit, saving, and basic money management for each cohort. Additionally, the organization provides ongoing one-on-one financial counseling for all program participants. During the 2023 fiscal year, 50 households participated in jfs orlando's fsp. Each of these households completed workshops and financial counseling sessions.

Since 2012, Consumer Debt Counselors has met the u.s. department of housing and urban development's (hud) strict requirements to be a hud-certified housing counseling agency. Our housing Counselors work with underserved communities to overcome housing challenges in multiple areas, including fair housing, homelessness, rental housing, homeownership, mortgage modification, and foreclosure assistance and education. All housing counseling services are provided at no cost to clients. Funding for housing programs comes from various sources, including the u.s. department of housing and urban development (hud), community partnerships, and state and local governments. Some housing clients engage the organization via workshops. Consumer Debt Counselors regularly hold seminars on both pre-purchase and post-purchase homeownership education. During the 2023 fiscal year, the organization held 38 workshops in english, spanish, and haitian creole. Other housing clients engage in one-on-one counseling. During the 2023 fiscal year, Consumer Debt Counselors provided one-on-one housing counseling to 368 clients. Overall, including both workshops and one-on-one counseling, Consumer Debt Counselors improved the financial capabilities and skills of 619 clients, referred 359 clients to additional housing services, referred 99 clients to other social services, completed 125 homeless or rental counseling sessions, conducted 30 post-purchase counseling sessions, and delivered 11 pre-purchase counseling sessions that resulted in the purchase of a home.