Does Nonprofit Credit Counseling Really Offer Free Sessions?

The Credit Counseling Session at Cambridge Credit Counseling Is Free#

Credit counseling from Cambridge Credit Counseling is a free service for consumers looking for ways out of debt. This applies whether or not a person ends up choosing any further help.

Cambridge Credit Counseling’s Free Service Is Part of Its Charitable Mission#

Cambridge Credit Counseling is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, not a loan company, and it does not lend money. Like most reputable nonprofit credit counseling agencies, offering a free debt analysis is part of its charitable mission rather than a sales tool.

A Debt Management Plan Is a Separate Choice#

A debt management plan is not credit counseling itself. It is simply one possible outcome that may come up during a session with Cambridge Credit Counseling. Choosing not to move forward with a plan does not change the fact that the counseling session itself was free.

Other Services and What They Cost#

Cambridge Credit Counseling does not charge for foreclosure intervention counseling, offering it as a free service because it is a nonprofit HUD approved agency. Its bankruptcy counseling and debtor education courses each cost $50.00 per household per session and are available free or at a reduced rate based on ability to pay. Households with income below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size are presumed eligible for a fee waiver. Households above that line may still qualify for a reduced fee if they can show a temporary financial hardship, such as a recent job loss or drop in income, unexpected medical costs, disability, separation or divorce, the death of a household wage earner, or another documented financial circumstance that significantly impacts the household’s ability to pay. Waivers and reductions are assessed on the household’s current income, expenses and overall financial condition, and Cambridge Credit Counseling will not refuse services to anyone due to inability to pay. It does not pull a consumer’s credit report for those courses, so they do not affect a consumer’s credit rating.

Why Cambridge Credit Counseling’s Free Counseling Can Be Trusted#

Cambridge Credit Counseling is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing counseling services, and a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and the Financial Counseling Association of America. It is also accredited to the FCAA’s Code of Practice, a set of rules that governs how credit counseling agencies are expected to act toward consumers.

What To Do Next#

If money stress has you feeling stuck, a free credit counseling session with Cambridge Credit Counseling is a simple first step. There is no obligation to enroll in anything afterward, so it can help to think of it as a way to get clear, honest information about your options.