Pre-Bankruptcy Counseling Statement
Consumer Credit of Des Moines offers you the opportunity to fulfill your pre-bankruptcy education course requirement by completing our online course called "Counseling in Motion." A certified credit counselor will supervise the "Counseling in Motion" online courses. The Pre-Bankruptcy course is offered in person, by telephone or by online course. Potential impacts on credit reports of all alternatives will be discussed before the completion certificate is issued. A credit counseling debt management program can have potential negative impacts on a credit score and credit reporting. Impacts could include but are not limited to closure of accounts and late reporting. While bankruptcy may help you erase or pay off past debts, those accounts will not disappear from your credit report. All bankruptcy-related accounts will remain on your credit report and negatively affect your credit score for seven to 10 years. Our counselors have completed the certification program offered by Fincert.org Center for Financial Certifications. You may email any questions you have regarding "Counseling in Motion" to [email protected] and receive a response to your questions within 24 business hours. In addition, you will be able to submit questions online while you are taking the "Counseling in Motion" online course, and will receive a response to questions submitted this way within 24 business hours as well.
We will ask you to voluntarily fill out basic demographic information. We will not disclose any such information that you provide orally or in writing to anyone, except as authorized by you in writing, or as required by law. We do not sell information about you to any third-party, and will not do so without your prior written permission. We may disclose certain information to the United States Trustee in connection with the United States Trustee’s oversight of us, or during the investigation of complaints, during on-site visits, or during quality of service reviews. We may compile data in aggregate form; however, your information will not be disclosed in any manner that would personally identify you. The United States Trustee has reviewed only our pre-bankruptcy counseling services and our post-bankruptcy service as a provider pursuant to 11 U.S.C. 111(c), and has neither reviewed nor approved any other services or programs we provide to debtors.
To help cover the cost of providing this pre-bankruptcy education program, a fee of $25.00 is charged for a single person or joint filers. There is not a fee for certificate issuance. In limited circumstances you may be eligible to have this fee waived in its entirety, including the cost of the certificate of completion. We will not deny service due to an inability to pay. The fee is waived with proof that your filing fees were waived or that your household income is less than 150 percent of the poverty guidelines established by the US Department of Health and Human Services. If you believe that you qualify for a fee waiver, please click on the link to the Fee Waiver Calculator at the bottom of the page. You will be asked to input your household size and income information, and if you qualify for a waiver you will be directed to call our toll-free number listed on the calculation screen to complete the registration process. If you do not qualify for a waiver, you will need to return to this page and click the box at the bottom to confirm that you have read this disclosure before you can register for the online course. For more information on fee waivers call 800-955-5765.
After completing the Counseling in Motion online course, we are obligated to provide you with a certificate of course completion promptly. You will only receive a certificate if you complete the course. If you are dissatisfied with the service provided by our agency you can utilize the Complaint Resolution Process.
Consumer Credit of Des Moines is a non-profit agency, organized and operating in accordance with Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Since 1987 we have been educating consumers and clients about money management and credit. Our funding comes from the voluntary contributions from creditors who participate in Debt Management Plans ("DMP") and a monthly fee charged to the client. You have the opportunity to negotiate an alternative payment schedule with regard to each unsecured consumer debt under terms set forth in 11 U.S.C. 502(k). Consumer Credit of Des Moines offers a Debt Management Plan to assist with an alternative payment schedule for unsecured debt.
We are a member of the Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA) and comply with its high standards of quality counseling and education. In addition, Bureau Veritas Certification North America, Inc., accredits us through the ISO 9001 program. This is an independent third-party organization that reviews and monitors entities that provide social services. We do not pay or receive referral fees or other consideration for referrals of debtor students to our agency. We do not offer bilingual instruction or professional interpreter assistance. If you should need these services, you may find an organization that offers them by visiting the United States Trustee's website at: http://www.justice.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ccde/de_approved.htm.
We currently offer pre-bankruptcy counseling for IA and MN residents.
Sincerely,
Tom Coates
Tom Coates, Executive Director
Consumer Credit of Iowa
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