YOU MUST REVIEW THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT BELOW
Pre-Petition Budget Briefing & Pre-Discharge Debtor Education Disclosure Statement
Alliance Credit Counseling, Inc. (Alliance) is a non-profit organization which provides professional personal finance education, confidential counseling, and debt reduction programs. Clients have the opportunity to negotiate an alternate payment schedule for unsecured consumer debts and Alliance can provide this service including impacts on consumer credit reports. Pre-Petition Budget Briefing is available by phone; Pre-Petition Budget Briefing and Pre-Discharge Debtor education are available through the Internet via the organizations website located at www.knowdebt.org. Services are available to anyone without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, age, or ability to pay. All client information is held in strict confidence by Alliance in compliance with the Gramm- Leach–Bliley Privacy Act, except as authorized for release by the client, or as may be required from the United States Trustee.
Funding Sources – Alliance receives the majority of its funding from the following sources: Fees paid by clients for counseling services and education programs offered to the public. Grants from private foundations and corporations who support our counseling and educational services and programs, and from government agencies. Voluntary “fairshare” contributions from some creditors related to debt management plans administered by Alliance. Alliance does not receive referral fees for the referral of clients under a fair share agreement. Alliance does not pay or receive fees or other consideration for the referral of clients.
Instructor/Counselor Qualifications – All instructors/counselors are Alliance employees and most work full-time for the organization. Instructor/counselor obtain financial counseling certification through an approved third-party institution prior to providing counseling. Instructor/counselor comply with all continuing education requirements necessary to maintain certification. Only certified instructor/counselor are allowed to provide the required counseling and education, and to issue the Certificate of Completion.
Impact on Credit Report – Alliance does not disclose or provide, to a credit reporting agency, information concerning whether an individual client has received or sought credit counseling or instruction concerning personal financial management from the organization. Entering a debt management plan could have a negative impact on your credit. Bankruptcy has a negative impact on a credit profile and is reported for 7 to 10 years, in most cases.
No Legal Or Tax Advice – Although a counselor may answer general questions about bankruptcy, Alliance does not provide legal or tax advice. If legal or tax advice is needed, you should seek the appropriate assistance from a qualified attorney or tax professional.
Limited English Proficiency – Individuals who do not speak English as their primary language or who have difficulty understanding English, may request communication in another language at no charge. Alliance will provide communication in the requested language if it has a counselor or translator available, otherwise it will promptly provide a referral to another appropriate provider.
Cost of Services – Alliance charges fees for some services to cover the cost of providing the service. These fees include any postage, shipping, handling, and materials. The fee is due and payable at the time of the service. We accept VISA or MasterCard, branded debit cards, Money-Gram, money orders, and cashier checks.
Fee Schedule: Pre-Petition Budget Briefing: Pre-Discharge Debtor Education:
Individual or Joint Session Online $19 Individual of Joint Session Online $19
Individual or Joint Session Telephone $49 Does not offer telephonic Pre-Discharge education
Does not offer IN PERSON counseling/briefing/education for Pre-Petition or Pre-Discharge.
Client/debtor presumptively lacks the ability to pay the fee if the client’s/debtor’s household current income is less than 150 percent of the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2), as adjusted from time to time, for a household or family of the size involved in the fee determination (https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines).
Powers of Attorney:
Powers of Attorney are not accepted by Alliance. Please contact your attorney or Bankruptcy Administrator in regards to the Voluntary Petition for Individuals Filing Bankruptcy – Official Form 101.
Certificate Of Completion – Alliance is approved to issue a certificate evidencing completion of a credit counseling briefing and/or personal financial management course in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. Approval does not endorse or assure the quality of a provider’s services. Alliance determines when a client’s counseling/course has been completed, which includes a minimum duration of 60 minutes for the budget briefing session, and 120 minutes for the debtor education course. Alliance is obligated to promptly provide an appropriate certificate of completion to each individual no later than one business day after completing the budget briefing session, and no later than three business days after completing the debtor education course. Certificates are issued regardless of ability to pay.
Additional information – The organization might disclose client/debtor information to the United States Trustee in connection with the United States Trustee’s oversight of the organization, or during the investigation of complaints, during on- site visits, or during quality of service reviews; The fact that the United States Trustee has reviewed the organizations credit counseling (pursuant to 11 U.S.C. 111(c)), and the personal financial management instructional course (pursuant to 11 U.S.C. 111(d)), and the fact that the United States Trustee has neither reviewed nor approved any other services the organization provides to clients/debtors; and the fact that a client/debtor will only receive a certificate if the client/debtor completes counseling services instructional course.