Here are some commonly asked questions (and answers!) about our pre-bankruptcy credit counseling: How long does the counseling take? The counseling takes about 60 minutes, but remember that you can work at your own pace and start and stop as needed. How much does this cost?
You have 6 months to take the pre-filing course. Once your forms are filed with the bankruptcy court, you’ll want to get the second course done within 60 days of your meeting of creditors (or before the meeting, if you want).
Welcome to DebtorCC! We provide a website that offers the online pre-filing bankruptcy credit counseling course and other personal finance products and services.
A. Access Counseling has live certified counselors available 24-hours a day and 7 Days a week! Q. How long does it take to complete the required Credit Counseling and Debtor Education courses? A. The pre-filing credit counseling course takes a minimum of 60 minutes to complete. The pre-discharge debtor education course takes a minimum of 2 hours.
1. Provide your financial information. In the session, you will provide various pieces of information about your financial situation, including details about why you are filing for bankruptcy. Here are the specifics you will need to provide:
Clearpoint’s online pre-bankruptcy credit counseling (also referred to as “pre-filing” or “pre-petition” counseling) allows you to earn the certificate that is required by US Bankruptcy Code before you can file for bankruptcy.
Note: your checkbook is a good resource for calculating your expenses.
BAPCA is important bankruptcy reform law that took effect in 2005 and still has major implications for bankruptcy today. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with BAPCA.
Important note: Chatting with a counselor is a mandatory part of the counseling.
Yes, this counseling requires a credit inquiry. This is a “soft” pull of your credit, however, and will not affect your credit score or show on any third party credit report requests. The information from your credit report will allow your counselor to provide the best advice possible, and will help us ensure that the information you provide matches what the credit bureaus have on record.
You have 6 months to take the pre-filing course. Once your forms are filed with the bankruptcy court, you’ll want to get the second course done within 60 days of your meeting of creditors (or before the meeting, if you want). The courses are offered by nonprofit organizations that are pre-approved by the U.S. Trustee (or the bankruptcy administrator).
The Executive Office of the United States Trustee (“EOUST”) states that “sessions should last approximately 60 minutes .”.
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During the credit counseling session, you'll speak with a credit counselor about your financial situation. Once done, they may recommend that you consider a repayment plan but oftentimes they'll simply provide you with the bankruptcy certificate to submit to the court along with your bankruptcy forms. The certificate is how you prove ...
As a result, the debtor education requirement is a 2-hour course. When done, you'll receive a certificate of completion that you have to submit to the bankruptcy court.
You get the certificate of completion after you’ve completed the course. It’s good for 180 days.
Is credit counseling required for Chapter 7? Yes, individuals who file any type of bankruptcy (Chapter 7, Chapter 13, or Chapter 11) have to complete this requirement. The credit counseling requirements exist to make sure that everyone filing bankruptcy knows about all available debt relief options .
While approval does not constitute an endorsement or ensure quality of service, we take our responsibility seriously and strive to provide you the best and most beneficial counseling services possible, particularly given the trying circumstances of your bankruptcy filing. This is why we have worked so hard to get approved in all 48 states and DC that are administered by the EOUST*.
BACPCA also will require you to submit proof that you completed this counseling session by having you provide a certificate of completion to the courts. Debt Reduction Services provides this certificate directly to you via email as well as to your attorney if requested.
Finally, our counselor uploads your plan and certificate of completion to your online account for you to access 24/7 at any time going forward. Additionally, he or she emails you a PDF file containing your certificate of completion, your budget, and your action plan. If you have requested, we forward your certificate to your attorney, our counselor will do that as well.
With Pre-file Credit Counseling, you’ll start online, then receive a personal counseling session by telephone to discuss the details of your current financial situation with a Certified Financial Counselor. Your counselor will help you build an accurate picture of your current finances, then give specific advice on actions you can take to improve it. You’ll also discuss short- and long-term financial goals and determine if there are any alternatives to bankruptcy. The counselor will explain consequences of bankruptcy and actions you can take to get back on sound footing after a bankruptcy.
What Is Bankruptcy Debtor Education? In order to be discharged from Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you must complete a Pre-Discharge Debtor Education course. The purpose of this bankruptcy course is to help you remain financially secure and use credit wisely so you don’t end up in bankruptcy again.
If you don’t complete the debtor education course before the deadline passes, the court will typically close your bankruptcy case but not discharge you. So, to wipe out your debts, you must file a motion, pay the required fees and ask the court to reopen your case so that you can file the certificate and obtain a discharge.
When you complete the debtor education course, you must file a form called Debtor’s Certification of Completion of Postpetition Instructional Course Concerning Personal Financial Management (Official Form 23) with the court.
This act was signed into law on April 20, 2005, and includes checks and balances to ensure that consumers are equipped to make informed decisions when it comes to filing bankruptcy. It includes the requirement that all Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy petitioners complete approved credit counseling and provide to the court a certificate of completion from a U.S. Trustee-approved, nonprofit credit counseling agency . The law also requires all consumers who file for bankruptcy to successfully complete two bankruptcy courses prior to having debts discharged.
Those who file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy must complete the class and file the certification of completion before your last repayment plan payment or before you file a motion for discharge. If you miss these deadlines , the court will dismiss your case. To reopen it, you must repay the bankruptcy filing fee.
This act was signed into law on April 20, 2005, and includes checks and balances to ensure that consumers are equipped to make informed decisions when it comes to filing bankruptcy. It includes the requirement that all Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy petitioners complete approved credit counseling and provide to the court a certificate of completion from a U.S. Trustee-approved, nonprofit credit counseling agency. The law also requires all consumers who file for bankruptcy to successfully complete two bankruptcy courses prior to having debts discharged.
show that you received credit counseling from an agency approved by the U.S Trustee's office within the 180-day period before you file your bankruptcy, and
A person who files for bankruptcy must take two educational courses before receiving a bankruptcy discharge wiping out qualifying debt. Before you can file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you must consult with a nonprofit credit-counseling agency to see whether you can feasibly handle your debt load outside of bankruptcy, ...
You'll prove that you've taken the credit counseling course by filing the certificate of completion along with your bankruptcy paperwork (no later than 15 days after your bankruptcy filing date). You'll also receive a copy of any repayment plan you may have worked out with the agency.
You can find an approved provider by visiting the U.S. Trustee's website. Click on the link entitled "Credit Counseling & Debtor Education" and then "List of Approved Credit Counseling Agencies." After the list populates, scroll down until you find your court's jurisdiction. You'll want to choose a provider that falls in that section to ensure that you get credit for the course.
The Second Course: Post-Bankruptcy Debtor Education. Bankruptcy filers must take a second course—called debtor education —after filing for bankruptcy. The debtor education course provides the filer with financial management tools, such as tips for creating a budget and rebuilding credit after bankruptcy.
The debtor education course provides the filer with financial management tools, such as tips for creating a budget and rebuilding credit after bankruptcy.
The counseling agency usually prepares a budget based on your income and expenses, and then review your options for repaying the debt. In most cases, the agency confirms that you don't have any feasible options for dealing with the debt other than filing for bankruptcy.
This course is taken before you file for bankruptcy and the cost is $19.95 per household. If you need to register for the Second Bankruptcy Course, which is taken after you file for bankruptcy, please click here.
We will only provide a certificate of completion once the debtor has completed the online portion of the course and speaks to a counselor. A counselor will be available during normal business hours of Monday - Friday 9am to Midnight EST. The counselor will discuss: a. Analysis of current financial situation; b. Factors that caused such conditions; c. Assistance in developing a plan to respond to problems without incurring negative amortization of debt.
Our normal business hours are Monday - Friday 9am to Midnight EST. A live counselor will be available during this time to answer any questions. For questions that arise outside normal business hours, a counselor from DebtorCC will answer the question before 12pm EST the following business day.
DebtorCC provides attorneys that opt-in to the attorney billing program a unique attorney billing code. The attorney billing code may be used on the website to pay for the course fee. If you have been provided an attorney billing code by your attorney and authorized to use it, you may only use the attorney billing code one time. You may not share or publish the attorney billing code. The attorney billing code only applies towards payment of the pre-filing bankruptcy credit counseling course fee. If you select any upgrades or choose to purchase any other products or services from DebtorCC, the attorney billing code may not be used towards the purchase.
DebtorCC is approved to issue certificates evidencing completion of a pre-bankruptcy credit counseling course in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. Approval does not endorse or assure the quality of a Provider's services.
We provide Free Spanish bilingual assistance with the course. Please call 1-800-610-3920 during our normal business hours of Monday - Friday 9am to Midnight EST for assistance in Spanish. For other languages, you may visit the US Trustee website.
The counselors at DebtorCC that will be providing your bankruptcy credit counseling briefing are experienced and trained professionals that have received in-depth training in our program. They are skilled at helping you understand the materials presented and help you apply the new skills in your life. Each counselor has experience in accounting, financial planning, credit counseling, or personal financial management.