Statements of Counseling Service

As a nonprofit company, Consumer Debt Counselors firmly believes that the ability to pay for services should not stand between you and the help that you need. We always make every effort that any contributions that we request from our clients be both modest and affordable.

Some services may require a fee. We will inform you and obtain your consent before any charges. No one will be denied service due to financial hardship.

Initial counseling consultations are provided at no charge.

Consumer Debt Counselors will recommend only services that are in your best interest. We will always inform you of any interest we may have in a particular product or service. Our counselors may perform multiple services with Consumer Debt Counselors. As such, they do not receive extra compensation or incentives for including or excluding any services. Moreover, per HUD guidelines, our counselors will not simultaneously participate in more than one specific housing activity.

Should you need foreclosure prevention counseling, Consumer Debt Counselors certifies that its staff who provide foreclosure intervention counseling have no conflict(s) of interest due to any other relationship with servicers, real estate agencies, mortgage lenders, or other industry partners (whether identified or not) that may stand to benefit from counseling outcomes.

After your counseling session, we or the National Foundation for Credit Counseling ("NFCC") on behalf of Sharpen Your Financial Focus may contact you for a short survey after your counseling session. Your participation is strictly voluntary.

Consumer Debt Counselors, Inc. is committed to safeguarding the privacy of individuals and families who seek our assistance. We understand that the financial concerns you discuss with us are often sensitive and personal. Any "nonpublic personal information," including debt totals, income, expenses, and other financial circumstances, will be shared with creditors, grant program administrators, and other relevant entities solely with your explicit authorization. This information is managed in accordance with the legal and ethical guidelines detailed in our Client Privacy and Security Policy.

Types of Information We Collect

• Information provided by you, either orally or in writing, such as your name, address, social security number, assets, and income.
• Transactional information involving us, your creditors, or other related parties, including account balances, payment history, and credit card usage.
• Credit history information obtained from credit reporting agencies.

Opt-Out Options

• You have the right to opt out of the disclosure of your non-public personal information to third parties, including creditors. Opting out will prohibit us from making such disclosures.
• If you opt out, we will be unable to field inquiries from your creditors. To reverse an opt-out decision, you can
  call us at 800-820-9232.

Disclosure to Third Parties

• Unless you opt out, we may share information collected about you with your creditors or other third parties if it is beneficial to your counseling, mandated by grant programs, or legally required.
• We may disclose your nonpublic personal information when required by law, in legal proceedings, audits, or investigations. For example, we may disclose some client information to EOUST or HUD in connection with their oversight of Consumer Debt Counselors. Disclosure of client information may also be made during the investigation of complaints, during on-site visits by EOUST or HUD or during quality of service reviews. We do not disclose information for purposes other than those required by or permitted by law.
• We do not sell or make your information available to any third parties for marketing purposes.

Security Measures

We employ physical and electronic measures to protect the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information
against unauthorized access. These security protocols are in compliance with federal regulations. A complete copy of our
Client Privacy and Security Policy is available online.

Consumer Debt Counselors does not notify credit reporting bureaus of your participation in credit counseling. Also, we will not inform your creditors unless you elect to pursue a course of action that requires us to do so, such as a debt management plan (DMP). Creditors may report participation in a DMP to credit bureaus. As a result, participation may negatively impact a credit report. Participating in a DMP will not have any adverse effect on your credit score, and, by the end of the term, will be a beneficial factor in terms of your credit. Filing for bankruptcy may negatively affect your credit score and access to credit. Our counselors will be happy to discuss the consequences of either of these decisions with you.

Our team of qualified counselors is trained and certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). Each counselor can be trusted with personal financial information, and all are qualified to help clients step-by-step make important choices about their finances.

Financial Counseling and the Debt Management Program

Most of the funding for Consumer Debt Counselors' financial counseling services and the debt management program (DMP) comes from a combination of grants and voluntary contributions. Some of these contributions are from creditors who participate in our DMP. We neither pay nor receive referral fees for the referral of clients, except under a fair share agreement.

Most of our contributions come from clients.

Your creditors will always credit your accounts with 100% of the amount you pay through Consumer Debt Counselors. Additionally, we will always be willing to work with all of your creditors, regardless of whether they are contributors to our organization or not.

Consumer Debt Counselors is proud to serve all members of our community.

We do not engage in discrimination in the selection and participation of clients in our programs or services regarding ability status, age, color, creed, employment, familial status, financial status, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin or ancestry, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

We are committed to providing you with professional service that is always empathetic, honest, transparent, and accountable. If at any time you are unsatisfied, please let us know.

We Want to Help

We recommend that you start by speaking directly to any staff member involved. We value direct communication, and we empower our team to assist you in resolving most issues.

Issue Escalation

If you are not satisfied with your response, please submit a formal complaint here so that we have a record of your problem. We will direct your message to the staff member's supervisor, and you will receive a call back within one business day.

Appeals

From that point, should you still be dissatisfied, you may appeal to our CEO, George Janas, in writing at 831 West Morse Blvd., Winter Park, FL 32789. After a brief fact-finding period, which may require more information from you, our CEO will provide a final decision.