Congratulations! You’ve decided to call CESI for a free credit consultation. Now, you want to know what your first call will be like. Here is a brief overview of what you can expect in your first conversation with a CESI counselor.
When you call, you’ll talk to one of our certified personal financial counselors who will complete a financial assessment by asking questions about your current financial situation.
Examples of questions your counselor will ask:
* Have you recently had any life-changing events?
* What problems are you having with your financial situation?
* Are you having trouble meeting your financial goals?
* Do you need help with your secured or unsecured debt?
New budget and action plan
During this phase of the consultation, your financial counselor will also determine your current spending habits by analyzing your budget to get a clear picture of your income versus your debt load. Your counselor will then re-examine your budget and offer suggestions on how to increase your disposable income. He or she will even provide you with an action plan as well as a copy of the new budget to guide you in making better spending choices.
Once they complete the budget analysis, your credit counselor can assess your debts, expenditures and income. He or she will provide you with the debt management options available for your financial situation and will also help you decide which option is best for you.
Examples of recommendations counselors will make to help get you back on track:
* Take on a second job
* Cut back on expenses
* Start a savings plan
* Restructure your debt
* Refer you to local, state or national resources
* Engage in a debt management plan
* Seek housing counseling
Options for your situation
Once your financial assessment is complete, your counselor will present you with a few options that he or she feels may work for you and address the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Your counselor will then give you their recommendation of the option they feel will best fit your financial situation. If the recommendation is a debt management plan, and you’re interested in enrolling, then you will need to have your most recent creditor statements on hand. In order to provide you with a quote on what your debt management payment would be, your counselor will ask you for information about your unsecured debt.
Some of the information they will ask for includes:
- Your creditor account numbers
- Your current balance
- Minimum payment due
- Current interest rates
It’s up to you
After the counselor enters your creditor information, you will receive a payment quote and an estimated payoff time. Then your counselor will send you documentation explaining the debt management plan and how it works. From this point, it is up to you to decide if you would like to enroll on the debt management plan. The enrollment process is simple and can be done via the Internet, fax or by phone.
Now that you have your debt management action plan, we’ll continue to support you each step of the way as you move toward financial freedom. Find out what you can expect after the first month.
Connect With Us