Bankruptcy Counseling and Financial
Education Certification
Bankruptcy is a choice that will have an
effect on the rest of your life and is not a decision that
should be taken lightly. With the enactment of the
Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of
2005, it has also become even more complex. Explained below
are two mandatory counseling requirements of the new law
that each consumer filing for bankruptcy must fulfill.
1. Pre-Petition Credit Counseling
Prior to filing a bankruptcy petition, all individuals
filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 are required to
participate in a credit counseling session with an approved non-profit
budget and credit counseling agency within 180 days of filing. The agency
conducting the session must be approved by the Executive Office for U.S.
Trustees (EOUST).
Community Credit Counseling Specialists (CCC) has a group of trained and
certified counselors who will assist you with this bankruptcy certification
process. CCC has been approved by the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees (EOUST)
to provide certification for Pre-Petition Credit Counseling and to issue
these certificates* in the following states: Ohio, Michigan and Florida.
*Approved to issue certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code.
Approval does not endorse or assure the quality of an Agency’s Services.
To complete your Pre-Petition Credit
Counseling with CCC:
Disclosure Information: Please read and make sure
that you understand the information in
Form A19-Disclosure Information For Bankruptcy Pre-Petition Counseling
Clients located in the Forms section of our
website, www.creditcounsel.org before beginning the registration process.
Consumer Identification: We require two forms of
identification before beginning the counseling session: 1) the license
number and date of expiration of a government-issued ID such as a state
Driver’s License, Passport, Military ID, or state-issued ID card, 2) the
company name and account number of a bill, such as a utility, that is
currently listed in your name. This information can be submitted to our
office either in person or by telephone prior to the counseling session. If
married and both parties are filing, identification of both parties must be
provided.
Budget Information: We require a completed budget
form which lists your total monthly household net income (after payroll
deductions are subtracted), a list of your total monthly expenses (either
exact, such as car payment, or estimated, such as utilities and groceries)
and a complete listing of all unsecured debts (credit cards, medical bills,
etc.). This budget information can be submitted on-line by going to the home
page on our website,
www.creditcounsel.org and clicking on
Bankruptcy Pre-Petition Credit
Counseling On-line Application, or by mail, fax, and in person. This
session will include a personalized budget analysis by one of our certified
counselors, as well as a discussion of the circumstances leading to the
financial difficulty, and possible steps that can be taken to prevent such
difficulties in the future.
2. Pre-Discharge Financial Education Course
After filing a bankruptcy petition, a debtor must complete
a personal financial management course approved by the Executive Office for
U.S. Trustees (EOUST). This course must be completed by the consumer and
certification received from the agency approved to conduct the course before
the bankruptcy can be discharged. This course will address financial
literacy issues that can provide consumers with the resources to prevent
future financial problems, such as developing and following a budget,
rebuilding finances after bankruptcy, and understanding how to use your
credit wisely.
Community Credit Counseling Specialists (CCC) has been approved by the
United States Trustees to provide certification for Pre-Discharge Financial
Education and to issue these certificates* in the following states: Ohio, Michigan
and Florida. The approved course CCC offers is “Money in Motion”. This course
takes approximately two hours to complete, and can be taken either on-line
or in person at a class conducted by one of our qualified instructors.
*Approved to issue certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code.
Approval does not endorse or assure the quality of an Agency’s Services.
To complete your Pre-Discharge Financial Education Course with CCC:
The following instructions will guide you through the
registration process for fulfilling the requirements of completing a
pre-discharge financial education course with CCC. Upon completing the
course, each individual filer will receive a certificate of completion.
Items Needed to Register:
Verification
of Your Identity using EITHER of the following options:
Option A
Submit the license number and date of
expiration of a government-issued ID such as a state Driver’s License,
Passport, Military ID, or state-issued ID card. This information can be
submitted either in person or by telephone to our office prior to beginning
the course. If married and both parties are filing, identification of both
parties must be provided.
Option B
If you do not have an ID, you must do
the following: Complete and sign
Form A25-Affidavit for Bankruptcy Pre-Discharge Online Education Course.
If filing with a bankruptcy attorney, have your attorney sign it as well. If
filing directly with the court (Pro Se), have the affidavit
notarized.
Disclosure
Information: Please read and make sure that you understand the
information in
Form A23-Disclosure Information For Bankruptcy Pre-Discharge Financial
Education Clients located in the Forms section
of our website, www.creditcounsel.org before beginning the registration
process.
Forms
of Payment. Payment can be made with a debit card, direct debit from
your checking or savings account (ACH), or by money order. If you choose to
pay by debit card, payment can be automatically submitted during the on-line
registration.
Register On-Line:
If you want to register on-line and pay with a Debit Card, access
the Home Page of our website,
www.creditcounsel.org and click on
Pre-Discharge Financial Education Course On-line Registration. PLEASE
HAVE YOUR BANKRUPTCY CASE NUMBER AVAILABLE TO ENTER ON YOUR APPLICATION.
Register by Phone:
Call our office at 419-865-2333 or toll-free 888-662-3313 to register. A
counselor will provide you with instructions on what is needed to complete
the registration process.
If you are registering for the Money in Motion
on-line course:
1. You will receive a login script (User Id and Password)
that will give you access to the online course. You will then go to
www.acce-online.com/moneyinmotion and choose the Student Log-In tab
.
2. Enter your User Id and Password, then click “login.”
3. You will be instructed to complete some demographic questions and a
pre-course test prior to reading or listening to the online materials. You
may print any section you choose, but you’re required to complete chapter
quizzes, and pass a final course exam.
4. CCC will be notified once you have completed the course, the exam, and
the course evaluation. CCC will then generate and forward to you a
Certificate of Debtor Education, generally via email, which will be your
proof of completing the requirement.
If you are registering for the Money in Motion
in-person or telephone course:
1. Our Money in Motion in-person classes are held
each month at our Toledo office located at 5301 Southwyck Blvd, 6PM to 8PM.
Additional classes may be scheduled if the enrollment is sufficient to
warrant them. Our telephone class is also held monthly, and additional
classes may be scheduled if the enrollment is sufficient to warrant them.
2. You will be contacted by the course instructor after registering to
confirm your enrollment in the next available class.
3. Once you have completed the course, the exam, and the course evaluation.
CCC will then generate and forward to you a Certificate of Debtor Education,
generally via email or mail, which will be your proof of completing the
requirement.
For any further financial education questions or needs for yourself, your
family, or your friends, please contact the CCC Staff for more information.
Thank you for choosing CCC!
Our main office:
Community Credit Counseling Specialists, Inc.
5301 Southwyck Blvd., Suite 100
Toledo, Ohio 43614-1580
Telephone 419-865-2333
Toll Free 1-888-662-3313
Fax 419-868-0207
E-mail
© 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Community Credit Counseling
Specialists, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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