Consumer
Debt Counselors

Statement of Counseling Services

Consumer Debt Counselors recognizes that when you seek solutions to your financial situation, you have choices. You chose us, and for that that, we are truly grateful for the opportunity to be able to assist you.
Consumer Debt Counselors provides financial education, credit counseling, debt management programs, bankruptcy counseling, debtor education, housing counseling, and student loan advisement services. You are not obligated to use any or all of these services.

Our Client Bill of Rights

  1. As a valued client, please have every right to expect prompt counseling services that will assist you in managing your money based on your financial circumstances. These counseling services shall include a comprehensive assessment of your financial situation, including an appropriate action plan for addressing your problem.
  2. No matter your circumstances or how you came to be there, you deserve the same advice and guidance that we would want to receive if we were in the same situation. You deserve detailed, understandable information regarding your financial options and what Consumer Debt Counselors' services can and cannot do. Finally, should you choose to enroll in those services, you deserve to have your money treated with the utmost responsibility and care.
  3. We should always provide you with prompt, accurate information. If you feel that we are not responding to calls or emails in a reasonable time frame or are dissatisfied in any way, please let us know. For more information, please see our Grievances Policy.
  4. We exercise complete discretion when it comes to your personally identifiable information and your personal affairs. For more information, please see our Client Privacy and Security Policy.
  5. We have an obligation to provide certificates for relevant courses promptly upon completion of instruction. You will only receive the certificate if you complete the instruction.
  6. Payment or receipt of referral fees are strictly prohibited. See "Agency Funding" in the left-hand menu for more information.
  7. If you are completing an EOUST-approved bankruptcy education course and have limited proficiency in English, you have the right to free bilingual instruction or assistance from a professional interpreter. Please contact us for assistance. Please note that Consumer Debt Counselors, Inc. is approved to issue certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. UST has reviewed only the agency's counseling/instructional services and has neither reviewed nor approved other services the agency may provide.

Fee Policy and Schedule

As a non-profit 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.
Initial counseling consultations are provided at no charge.

Financial Counseling

  • No Charge

Debt Management Program

  • One-Time Set Up Contribution: $49.00 *
  • Ongoing Monthly Expense Contribution: Up to $59.00 *
  • Ongoing Monthly Education Fee: Up to $8.00 for the first 12 months of the program *

Pre-Filing Bankruptcy and Post-Filing Debtor Education

  • Pre-Filing Bankruptcy Counseling: $30.00
  • Pre-Discharge Debtor Education: $25.00
  • Pre-Filing Bankruptcy Counseling: $30.00
  • Pre-Filing Bankruptcy Counseling: $30.00

* Where state law limits monthly expense contributions and/or set-up contributions to a lesser amount, state law shall prevail.
† Monthly expense contributions vary based on the number of accounts included in the Debt Management Program and the client's ability to pay.
‡ There is no additional charge to complete the course jointly as a couple or for the generation of certificates.

Consumer Rights

Consumers have the right to negotiate a reasonable alternative payment schedule with regard to unsecured consumer debt. Consumer Debt Counselors can assist clients with setting up an alternative payment schedule such as a debt management program. If we are unable to provide a service needed by a client, we will refer him or her to another approved agency.

Impact to Your Credit Score

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). 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.

EOUST Approval

Consumer Debt Counselors, Inc. is approved to issue certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. UST has reviewed only the agency's counseling/instructional services and has neither reviewed nor approved other services the agency may provide.

Counselor Qualifications

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.

Agency Funding

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.

Privacy Disclosures

Consumer Debt Counselors, Inc. may disclose some client information to EOUST 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 the EOUST or during quality of service reviews.For more detailed information on how Consumer Debt Counselors handles personal information, please see our Consumer Privacy and Security Policy.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Consumer Debt Counselors is proud to serve all members of the community. One of our corporate values is respect for and encouragement of the diversity around us.We do not engage in discrimination in the selection and participation of clients in our programs or services regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ability status.

Grievance Policy

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 You

We recommend that you start by speaking directly to the 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 via our website 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 there, 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.

Statement of Counseling Services

Consumer Debt Counselors recognizes that when you seek solutions to your financial situation, you have choices. You chose us, and for that that, we are truly grateful for the opportunity to be able to assist you.

Consumer Debt Counselors provides financial education, credit counseling, debt management programs, bankruptcy counseling, debtor education, housing counseling, and student loan advisement services. You are not obligated to use any or all of these services.

Our Client Bill of Rights

  1. As a valued client, please have every right to expect prompt counseling services that will assist you in managing your money based on your financial circumstances. These counseling services shall include a comprehensive assessment of your financial situation, including an appropriate action plan for addressing your problem.

  2. No matter your circumstances or how you came to be there, you deserve the same advice and guidance that we would want to receive if we were in the same situation. You deserve detailed, understandable information regarding your financial options and what Consumer Debt Counselors' services can and cannot do. Finally, should you choose to enroll in those services, you deserve to have your money treated with the utmost responsibility and care.

  3. We should always provide you with prompt, accurate information. If you feel that we are not responding to calls or emails in a reasonable time frame or are dissatisfied in any way, please let us know. For more information, please see our Grievances Policy.

  4. We exercise complete discretion when it comes to your personally identifiable information and your personal affairs. For more information, please see our Client Privacy and Security Policy.

  5. We have an obligation to provide certificates for relevant courses promptly upon completion of instruction. You will only receive the certificate if you complete the instruction.

  6. Payment or receipt of referral fees are strictly prohibited. See "Agency Funding" in the left-hand menu for more information.

  7. If you are completing an EOUST-approved bankruptcy education course and have limited proficiency in English, you have the right to free bilingual instruction or assistance from a professional interpreter. Please contact us for assistance. Please note that Consumer Debt Counselors, Inc. is approved to issue certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. UST has reviewed only the agency's counseling/instructional services and has neither reviewed nor approved other services the agency may provide.

Fee Policy and Schedule

As a non-profit 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.

Initial counseling consultations are provided at no charge.

Financial Counseling

  • No Charge

Debt Management Program

  • One-Time Set Up Contribution: $49.00 *

  • Ongoing Monthly Expense Contribution: Up to $59.00 *

  • Ongoing Monthly Education Fee: Up to $8.00 for the first 12 months of the program *

Pre-Filing Bankruptcy and Post-Filing Debtor Education

  • Pre-Filing Bankruptcy Counseling: $30.00

  • Pre-Discharge Debtor Education: $25.00

  • Other policies specific to bankruptcy education are specified in our pre-filing consumer disclosures and post-filing consumer disclosures.

  • Consumer Debt Counselors, Inc. will waive the pre-filing bankruptcy counseling fee for low-income consumers. The federal government defines a low-income consumer as one with a household income less than or equal to 150% of the estimated poverty threshold for their applicable family size as published in the current Federal Poverty Level Guidelines.

* Where state law limits monthly expense contributions and/or set-up contributions to a lesser amount, state law shall prevail.
† Monthly expense contributions vary based on the number of accounts included in the Debt Management Program and the client's ability to pay.
‡ There is no additional charge to complete the course jointly as a couple or for the generation of certificates.

Consumer Rights

Consumers have the right to negotiate a reasonable alternative payment schedule with regard to unsecured consumer debt. Consumer Debt Counselors can assist clients with setting up an alternative payment schedule such as a debt management program. If we are unable to provide a service needed by a client, we will refer him or her to another approved agency.

Impact to Your Credit Score

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). 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.

EOUST Approval

Consumer Debt Counselors, Inc. is approved to issue certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. UST has reviewed only the agency's counseling/instructional services and has neither reviewed nor approved other services the agency may provide.

Counselor Qualifications

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.

Agency Funding

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.

Privacy Disclosures

Consumer Debt Counselors, Inc. may disclose some client information to EOUST 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 the EOUST or during quality of service reviews.

For more detailed information on how Consumer Debt Counselors handles personal information, please see our Consumer Privacy and Security Policy.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Consumer Debt Counselors is proud to serve all members of the community. One of our corporate values is respect for and encouragement of the diversity around us.

We do not engage in discrimination in the selection and participation of clients in our programs or services regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ability status.

Grievance Policy

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 You

We recommend that you start by speaking directly to the 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 via our website 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 there, 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.