Site Offers Online “Chat” With Counselors 24 Hours a Day
ATLANTA, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Homeowners across the United States seeking immediate help and quick, reliable information to avoid foreclosure now have a new online site that also features 24-hour access to certified financial counselors who can answer their questions.
“Keeping Your Home” is a new online education course available from Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Greater Atlanta, Inc., a nonprofit credit counseling agency. Anyone can access the site by visiting www.cccsinc.org, then clicking on the “Keeping Your Home” box.
Among delinquent homeowners who admit having difficulty paying their mortgage, 31% say they have not contacted their lender, according to a December 2005 Roper Public Affairs study for Freddie Mac.
“Many people who fall behind on their mortgage want anonymity as they work through their financial problems and attempt to save their home,” said Mechel Glass, director of education for CCCS of Greater Atlanta, Inc. “The 'Keeping Your Home' course allows homeowners to learn at their own pace while providing immediate access to 'live chat' counselors 24 hours a day.”
CCCS online counselors are certified by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. CCCS of Greater Atlanta is one of the largest nonprofit credit counseling agencies in the United States that provides counseling on foreclosure and other housing issues.
In addition to the new web site, people can continue to call 1-888-995-HOPE, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a national hotline established by the Homeownership Preservation Foundation that helps homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments. The 24-hour hotline is staffed in part by counselors from CCCS of Greater Atlanta.
“Keeping Your Home” features six 15-minute classes, each designed to answer questions about specific housing topics. The first two classes provide information that people facing foreclosure need immediately, such as how to contact their lender and options lenders may have to help them “catch up” on their mortgage.
These two courses are called “Help! I'm Behind on My House Payment,” and “How do I Save My Home?” The other four courses provide information that helps homeowners control their spending and prepare for financial emergencies.
Each person visiting the site can access a Personal Financial Journal that enables them to record all information and advice they receive from their lender. They can also use it to build a customized plan to pay off their debts, create a spending plan and track their short- and long-term goals.
About CCCS of Greater Atlanta:
CCCS of Greater Atlanta serves clients in all 50 states and has 18 offices in four states. It is the headquarters for the CredAbility Network, a family of agencies serving consumers in north Georgia, south Florida, middle Mississippi and east Tennessee as well as nationally via telephone and Internet.
CCCS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation and is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). Governed by a community-based board of directors, CCCS is funded by creditors, clients, contributors and grants from foundations, businesses and government agencies. Service is available at offices throughout metro-Atlanta and north Georgia in English, Spanish and American Sign Language. CCCS offers around the-clock help by phone at 1-800-251-CCCS or at its Web sites, www.cccsinc.org and cccsenespanol.org.
SOURCE CCCS of Greater Atlanta
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