Pre-filing Counseling
Family Financial Education Services, a program of Compass Family and Community Services is a non-profit service, and is primarily funded by United Way, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and various other state and local organizations. The ultimate goal of the program is to educate and improve family and community well-being through financial education. All Compass Family and Community Services financial counselors have a Bachelors degree or similar higher education, and possess an extensive professional background of more than 75 years combined professional experience in the finance/credit industry.
Compass Family and Community Services is approved to issue pre-bankruptcy credit counseling certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. Approval does not endorse or assure the quality of an agency’s services. While Compass Family and Community Services has expertise in helping those with financial problems, our services are not intended to take the place of a consultation with an attorney to explore your legal rights and options. If you would like to use the services of Compass Family and Community Services to obtain a certificate for the purposes of filing a bankruptcy case, please read the following information.
The pre-filing telephone counseling session will take approximately 60-90 minutes and the following education topics will be covered.
- Reasons People File Bankruptcy
- Causes of Financial Problems
- Options for Resolving Financial Problems
- Budget Analysis to assist you in developing a budget
If you and your spouse both plan to file bankruptcy then both are required to complete a pre-filing counseling session. There is a $50.00 fee per individual or $50.00 per couple. You may pay online by debit card or credit card, or you may pay by money orders or cashiers checks. There is a $5 processing fee if you pay by money orders or cashiers checks. Compass Family and Community Services does not accept personal checks.
In compliance with the Bankruptcy Reform Act, Compass Family and Community Services will issue a certificate of completion. See below for details of certificate issuance. Your certificate is valid for 180 days from the date that the counseling session was completed.
Within one business day or earlier of (1) A request by the client or (2) The completion or termination of the pre-filing telephone counseling session your completed pre-filing bankruptcy certificate(s) will be mailed to your address. Your certificate(s) will not be mailed until all required forms, the telephone counseling session and payment for the service has been received.
Compass Family and Community Services provides counseling services regardless of ability to pay. To obtain a certificate fee waiver, simply complete the fee waiver application and submit the completed application to Compass Family and Community Services. Fee waivers are granted if total valid proof of household income is from public assistance or if you are utilizing an attorney through Community Legal Aid. If a waiver of fee is applicable, the amount of the fee reimbursement will be less the cost of the on-line service processing fee.
Compass Family and Community Services Disclosure of Information to Clients
Compass Family and Community Services Requirements for Credit Counseling:
- You must complete Compass Family and Community Services telephone/internet credit counseling program, completing all the requested information truthfully and as accurately as possible, prior to completing the telephone counseling session.
- You will be contacted by a Compass Family and Community Services representative within 24-48 hours of scheduling for a pre-filing session to confirm the date and time of your scheduled telephone session.
- You must verbally provide a valid form of identification (type of identification and official identification number ex. Drivers License) to the counselor at the beginning of the telephone pre-filing counseling session in order to receive your requested certificate(s).
- You must complete the telephone pre-filing counseling session in order to receive your requested certificate(s).
Privacy Policy
All information gathered will be strictly safeguarded and stored in a safe manner. We will limit the mandatory collection of consumer information to the minimum required to provide necessary services, which includes performing assessments of consumers’ financial situations, determining the factors which led to consumers’ financial problems, assistance in preparing a budget, providing budgeting tips, performing a complete debt analysis and informing clients of the various alternatives to their financial situation without incurring a negative amortization of debt.
Information collected by Compass Family and Community Services is treated as confidential and no personally identifiable information will be released to any unauthorized individual or to any company, creditor, collection agent, credit reporting agency or other non-governmental entity.
All Compass Family and Community Services employees are required to sign and abide by an agreement whereby employees are required to keep all sensitive client information confidential. We will permit only authorized employees, who are trained in the proper handling of client information, to have access to that information. Employees who violate our Privacy Policy will be subject to disciplinary procedures.
Impact on your credit report
Compass Family and Community Services does not report any information to any credit reporting agency or bureau; therefore the use of Compass Family and Community Services programs will have no impact on your credit report. However, during the course of a credit counseling session, Compass Family and Community Services does provide information about alternatives based upon an individual’s financial situation. Some of these alternatives, specifically debt management plans and the filing of bankruptcy, could affect your credit report.
To schedule your pre-filing counseling session . . .