1. What exactly is Consumer Credit Counseling Service?
Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Southwest Georgia is a
nonprofit community service agency established in 1991 to provide:

• Confidential budget, credit and housing counseling
  Consumers can call and request a counseling appointment with one of
  our professional, certified counselors to review expenses, income
  and spending habits.
• Debt management plans to repay creditors
  For consumers who are financially overextended, we offer a debt
  management plan to help you repay creditors. Many creditors will reduce
  or waive interest charges when payments are made through CCCS.
• Money management seminars
  Our agency offers education workshops for employee groups, civic
  groups, church groups, or other groups who may be interested, on topics
  such as Budgeting, Money and Credit Management, and
  Smart Money for Teens
• Telephone counseling services
  Counseling appointments are available via telephone for consumers
  experiencing time or transportation constraints.

CCCS of Southwest Georgia is a member of the National Foundation for
Consumer Credit, Silver Springs, Maryland.

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2: Is there a cost to CCCS services?
Yes. We ask you to pay a nominal fee of $20 per personal counseling session
to help cover some of our costs, whether you visit us in person or over the phone.

Debt Management Programs work a little differently and fees are based on a
small percentage of your total payment, with a maximum of $50. This will be better
explained at your initial appointment.

Bankruptcy Pre-Filing fees are $50 per session and include the certificate.

Bankruptcy Pre-Discharge & Education is $50 per person.

Pre-purchase housing sessions (or first time homebuyer sessions) are free.

Most workshops and other educational classes are free.

In some cases, these fees may be waived.

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3. How do I know if my situation is severe enough to contact CCCS?
If you answer yes to two or more of the following questions, it's time to schedule
an appointment with CCCS:

• Do you worry about money?
• Are you only able to pay the minimum amount on your credit cards
• Are you using credit cards for items you used to buy with cash?
• Is your savings cushion inadequate or non-existent?

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4. Who can be helped by the CCCS Debt Management Plan (DMP)?
A Debt Management Plan may help many people who are experiencing
difficulty making payments to creditors. A DMP allows you to make a single
monthly deposit to CCCS, based on a renegotiated payment plan, which in turn
is paid directly to your creditors by CCCS. To find out if you are suited for a DMP,
contact CCCS for a budget counseling session with a qualified counselor.
You may contact us right here on our web site. During your appointment,
your counselor will review your budget (income, living expenses, and credit
obligation) and may recommend a debt management plan).

5. If I'm on a DMP will my creditors continue to telephone me?
In the majority of cases we are able to work with creditors towards a positive
solution that will satisfy everyone. Once creditors begin to receive regular payments
through CCCS, they should stop calling you.

To learn more online about Debt Management Plans, visit our Money Smarts Center
by clicking on the link below:

Or, click on the link below to download our Client Handbook (4.1 Mgbs)
in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have the Adobe Reader , click on the
Download Adobe Link to donwload/install it on your machine . It's fast and easy to do.

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6. How is CCCS funded?
Most of our funding comes from voluntary contributions from creditors who
participate in Debt Management Plans (DMP). Since creditors have a financial
interest in getting paid, most are willing to make a contribution to help fund our
agency. These contributions are usually calculated as a percentage of the
payments clients make through any DMP - up to 15% of each payment received.

However, clients' accounts with their creditors are always credited with 100% of
the amount paid through CCCS and we will attempt to work with your creditors
regardless of whether they contribute to our agency.

Additionally, clients who enter a debt management plan are assessed a fee
based on amount of monthly payment. In some cases, these fees may be waived.