Financial Crisis Hits Family Member

[AuntPeggy]

Does anyone know of a reputable source of help in Northern California for an elderly couple on retirement and Social Security that have enourmous debts and are being approached by sharks?

PM please.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Sure wish I did. I'm very sorry to hear this. Let us know how it works out. I have a family member with issues also; other coast.

Best,

Dave

 

[bstratt]

Not in that area. And the ones that are reutable and offer real solutions also cost money! That's the dilema for people in trouble.

 

[KennyFlys]

I went ahead and posted this here for everyone's benefit and reference. I dug this up from Clark Howard's site.

To find a legitimate counselor, contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, at www.nfcc.org or call 1-800-388-2227. It's a non-profit which represents an industry sector of non-profit members.

There are a LOT of scam artists out there in the interest of "couseling." Be careful who you pick.

Also from Clark's site:

May 16, 2006 -- IRS targets rogue "credit counseling" outfits
Every day on the show, Clark gets calls from people who are in some level of distress with debt. People are facing insurmountable debt, or so it seems. On top of that, they see late night TV ads for credit counseling services that offer to help you out of debt. They claim to be “non-profit” organizations just out to aid law abiding citizens. In actuality, they just want to take your money. The IRS has been after these companies for two years. And now, the IRS commissioner is about to take away the “non-profit” status from many of these organizations. So, how can you find the right people? The National Foundation for Credit Counseling is the accreditation body for legitimate credit counselors. You can find those legit organizations at its site, nfcc.org. Any fees these companies charge you are nominal and are to cover the cost of handling transactions with your creditors. Check it out.