CCCS of Buffalo - Dare to be Debt Free

The Consumer Credit Counseling Service Niagara County Financial Literacy & Empowerment Coalition has run a VITA FREE Tax Prep Program for the past 7 years . VITA (it stands for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) helps low income individuals and families file their taxes—and access eligible tax credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit, which ranges from $506-$6,269. It saves people hundreds of dollars in unnecessary tax preparation fees and helps them avoid refund anticipation loans and inflated filing fees. The average cost of tax prep is around $300 and refund anticipation loans typically cost about $200 per filer. This makes the cost of filing taxes $500 or more! This problem is compounded by the plentiful for profit tax prep companies that specifically operate in low income neighborhoods, making it so easy for people to get their taxes done…as long as they ignore the high cost. There are over 40 of these predatory companies in Niagara Falls and Lockport and sadly only a f...

  CCCS Seeks Volunteers: Improve the Economic Stability of Niagara County Residents; Seeking Tax Preparation Volunteers Volunteers have 27% higher odds of finding a job after being out of work than non-volunteers Make A Difference in Your Community—while adding skills to your resume Between the pandemic and our country’s recent social justice reckoning, the financial insecurity faced by millions of Americans is finally being seen as a systemic issue in need of reform. An emerging movement for economic justice calls for intervention from the government, employers and nonprofit organizations. Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Niagara (CCCS) and the Niagara County Financial Literacy & Empowerment Coalition are leading the efforts in Niagara County. And while the work is complex and will take much time, CCCS and the Coalition are beginning part of this ongoing project by announcing that they will once again hold their Free Tax Prep/Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (...

Consumer Credit Counseling Service Announces FREE Virtual Workshop: Holiday Spending Hacks November 17th at 5:00 pm EST As we move into the Holiday season, Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) is continuing to protect the financial health of everyone. The pandemic has caused anxiety and stress for many in the region. As the only local nonprofit that works with individuals and families to achieve financial stability, CCCS has been helping our clients access options for financial relief and providing ongoing encouragement through free financial checkups by phone and monthly Virtual Workshops . The next workshop will be: “Holiday Spending Hacks”- November 17th at 6:00 pm . During this 60-minute presentation CCCS will review holiday budgeting and planning techniques, as well as creative ways to save during the holiday season. Topics Include: ·          Budgeting & planning techniques ·       ...

What types of debts can be included in a Debt Management Plan (DMP)? You would be able to include any credit cards, personal loans, medical bills, or collection accounts. What types of debts CANNOT be included in a DMP? You would not be able to include student loans, mortgage, auto loans, or personal loans that are secured by collateral. What are the costs associated with a DMP? There is a monthly service charge of $35* (included in your monthly payment to us), and a one time initial set-up fee of $55* (payable with your first month’s payment only).  Unlike a debt settlement or debt relief agency, we do not charge fees based on a percentage of your debt, and the fees are nominal to cover administrative costs only, as we are a non-profit.  There are no “hidden” fees.  The only other fee you would ever see from CCCS is if your payment was returned (bounced check or returned ACH), and the amount of that fee is $25. *The amount of the monthly service charge and set-up fee may...

What is Tuition Insurance? ·         Insurance that can cover and provide reimbursement of financial losses for students who are forced to leave school for unexpected medical reasons, such as serious injury or illness, chronic illness, and mental health conditions. ·         Most insurance plans can refund expenses such as tuition, housing, academic fees, and deposits ·         Estimated cost is $200 in premium for every $10,000 worth of coverage ·         Offered by select insurance providers, and even some schools offer it themselves *Pandemics are typically excluded from the policies, but this year companies may be making exceptions – Likely “You have to become ill, you have to have a positive diagnosis, and your doctor should recommend you leave school” – Quoted by John Fees, co-founder of GradGuard, a tuition insurance provider. W...

What exactly is a Debt Management Plan? A debt management plan, usually just referred to as a “DMP,” is a partnership between you and CCCS of Buffalo to systematically pay down your outstanding debt through monthly payments. You would make one monthly payment directly to us, and we then disburse those funds out to your creditors each month. On a plan, you can include any unsecured debt – so credit cards, personal loans, medical bills, or collection accounts. Why is a DMP something I’d want to participate in? Well, there are several benefits to doing so! First, we work with your creditors to get you a lower interest rate. Depending on the creditor and the type of debt, interest rates are typically reduced to around 0-10%. We work with the creditors to make an arrangement for them to accept a lower monthly minimum payment from you, which ultimately puts more money back into your pockets on a monthly basis. Once enrolled into a DMP, creditors typically stop charging lat...

The financial impact of the pandemic continues to cause suffering throughout the nation. This time there is a different reason. Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) is now fearing people may suffer from impacts to credit scores due to credit reporting errors—through no fault of their own. At the beginning of the pandemic, lenders and credit reporting systems were inundated with requests for extensions, forbearances etc. The uniqueness of the situation along with its urgency, high emotions and lack of established guidelines may result in inaccuracies recorded on many credit reports. The current situation is that thousands in our region may have substantial errors on their credit reports—and the onus is on consumers to make sure that their credit reports are accurate.   When credit reports show negative information, even if it is a mistake, the consequences can be very detrimental and long lasting. Having negative entries on your credit report can easily m...

Consumer Credit Counseling Service Announces Free Virtual Workshops : “Dollars and Sense”—Budgeting & Debt Control Thursday June 4th at 1:00 pm “Credit Counts”—Managing & Repairing Credit Thursday June 11th at 1:00 pm Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) continues to see people of all financial levels suffer as a result of the pandemic and encourages people to come to us, as soon as possible so we can help them access options for financial relief and provide some much needed encouragement during these times. CCCS will help Western New York residents through free financial checkups by phone and through workshops to be held during June. CCCS has been providing free financial checkups since March and offering Virtual Workshops since April. The “Dollars and Sense”—Budgeting & Debt Control Workshop will be held on Thursday June 4th at 1:00 pm Topics include:   Setting goals Budgeting techniques Creative ways to s...

Veteran Financial Health During the Pandemic-Special Workshop Just for Veterans Thursday May 14 th at 12:00 pm on Zoom Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) and the Veterans One-stop Center of WNY (VOC) urge local veterans to attend a free virtual workshop designed to address their specific financial needs on May 14th. Bank of America is sponsoring the workshop to promote economic mobility among vulnerable populations and has a long-standing commitment to veterans. Veterans and active service members frequently experience financial challenges that are unique to their status, making financial uncertainty an unfortunate part of life for them and their families. The pandemic has intensified the challenges veterans and current military members face, plunging financially insecure veterans into a more intense arena of uncertainty. CCCS and the VOC are providing the Workshop to answer questions and offer guidance, in addition to their ongoing financial counseling for veteran...

Consumer Credit Counseling Service Announces Free Virtual Workshops : P rotect your Financial Health During the Pandemic Wednesday May 6 th at 1:00 pm Protect your Financial Health During the Pandemic--Special Workshop Just for Veterans In Partnership with the Veterans One Stop Center of WNY/Sponsored By Bank of America Thursday May 14 th at 12:00 pm Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) has been experiencing the impact of the pandemic since its ugly beginning. Over the past six weeks, we have worked with hundreds of area residents from various financial situations who have been deeply affected by current events. The sudden and profound shock to an individual and to a family’s well being is overwhelming. CCCS urges Western New York residents to come to us for help: through free financial checkups by phone and through workshops to be held during May. CCCS has been providing free financial checkups since March and is now offering Virtual W...

Consumer Credit Counseling Service Offers Free “Financial Checkups” Call 716-712-2060 or visit www.consumercreditbuffalo.org The COVID 19 pandemic is impacting people of all financial levels with its most searing effects unleashed on lower and middle income Americans. Hourly wage earners and wide sections of the hospitality industry are no longer receiving income. With the ubiquity of high debt and low savings among the middle class, it is only a matter of time until they too are in a precarious financial situation. According to the Federal Reserve Board, 40% of Americans are unable to cover a $400 unexpected expense. And at this point, it is uncertain if all impacted workers can count on economic stimulus packages, causing stress and anxiety for many. Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) announced today that it will offer free financial checkups by phone and encourages all those concerned with their financial issues to call 712-2060 or visit www.consumer...