How Can You Manage Your Money Better When You're a Student?

Get back on track with our Debt Management Program that helps you pay your debts by negotiating monthly payments to your creditors. Work your way back to credit health by contacting us today!

Whether you're an 18-year-old freshman or a 30-year-old looking to further your education, it can be difficult to manage your finances when attending college. This is a great time of year to sit down and take a look at your expenses and begin budgeting for the school year. Because college is an expensive endeavor, it's crucial you get your personal budget worked out before the hustle and bustle of school becomes overwhelming.

Here are some basic tips:

• Know your credit situation: You should be well-aware of your available credit. Set a limit to what you're willing to charge to your credit card. Maxing out your card now will negatively affect your ability to get a loan in the future.
• Know what books will cost: Books can be incredibly expensive - you need to budget accordingly.
• Know your living/commuting expenses: Are you living off campus? Will you be spending money on gas or paying for public transportation? These are expenses you need to be aware of because they're a necessary part of going to school.

Attending college can make it difficult to keep your finances in line. Luckily, here at Consumer Credit Counselor Service, we have counselors who have worked with many students over the years. Our goal is to help you set up a flexible budget - one that works for you. It's crucial you stay out of credit trouble - but if you do need help, don't hesitate to call your parents, a credit counselor, or even your creditors to try to form a strategy to solve the problem. The worst thing you can do is set your credit problems aside and think you'll be able to fix them later.

Now is a great time to start learning some things about your money management habits. There are a lot of great apps out there you can download, or you can simply carry around a small notebook to record your expenses. Find out how you're spending money, add it all up at the end of the month, and determine whether you need everything you buy. Is there something you buy regularly that you don't really need? Making smarter spending decisions will help you get the best value for your hard-earned dollars.

If you are interested in getting help with your finances, don't hesitate to give us a call or stop by our website. We'd love to help make your life a little easier while you're in school!

Are You on Pace to Meet Your Financial Goals?

Get back on track with our Debt Management Program that helps you pay your debts by negotiating monthly payments to your creditors. Work your way back to credit health by contacting us today!

With summer winding down and school starting up, there is no better time to take a good hard look at your personal finances. Most people set their budgetary goals at the beginning of the year - while around this time, many people realize they may not achieve them. It's important to remember it's never too late to start making improvements. 

This is the perfect time to sit down with a professional and review your progress. We can take a look at your checkbook and help you balance it. We can also take a look at your yearly expenses. If you made any donations that are tax deductible, now is the time to start collecting the receipts and organizing them, so you can save some money on your taxes when the time comes. It is also a time to get rid of some of the financial items that may have built up over the year that are no longer useful. You want to shred anything with information that may lead to your identity being stolen. 

It's not too late to reassess the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year. Now is the ideal time to take a good look at your financial situation and work on a course of action for the future. If you can't meet the lofty goals you set at the beginning of the year, now is the time to set new ones. On the other hand, if there is a shot you can meet your budgetary goals, we will help you get there. We want to help make your financial situation a lot less stressful, so give us a call at (402) 333-2227 or visit us on the web at CCCSN.org. 

Budget Planning: Do Your Finances Need a Spring Cleaning?

Get back on track with our Debt Management Program that helps you pay your debts by negotiating monthly payments to your creditors. Work your way back to credit health by contacting us today!

It’s finally springtime! If you’re like me and tired of winter, now is a good time to sit down and look at your finances and your family budgeting. If you haven’t already done so, find a weekend where it is still cool and gather your bills, organize them, find out where your money is going and work on your budget!

If you need help with this, come see us at Consumer Credit Counselling Services! Our counselors can sit down with you, look over your income, finances and credit debt and provide you with alternatives for getting out of debt! We currently have the “SharpenYour Financial Focus” campaign going so if you come into our office, the counseling session is free, you take a test online, speak with a counselor and we will create a free account for you at freecreditscore.com. This gives you 12 months of free access!

Please give us a call and we would be glad to help you. Thanks and have a great day!

Our New Tool Can Help Give You Financial Freedom

How Sharp is Your Financial Focus?

The New Year is the perfect time to perform a revaluation of your finances. At Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Nebraska, we have a new tool named “Sharpen Your Financial Focus.” It’s simple, free and the results you receive will help you determine where your debt is at, how to budget and help you determine your cash flow.

Start the New Year right and sharpen your financial focus! Visit us online at www.cccsn.org or give us a call at 1-877-494-2227. Thanks and have a great day!

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Nebraska, Inc. (CCCSN) is a 501c3 non-profit, community service agency serving Nebraska and Iowa consumers for over 36 years.  Our organization provides consumers with financial education, budget and housing counseling, debt repayment plans, assistance with reading credit reports and consumer issues.

When you call CCCSN, one of our certified counselors will review your financial history, review your income and living expenses, assist you in developing a budget and provide you with a client action plan that is taylored for your circumstances. You will be encouraged to take an in-depth look at your financial situation and learn how to live within your budget. Your CCCSN counselor may recommend a Debt Management Program that helps you pay your debts by negotiating monthly payments to your creditors.

Whether you simply need assistance with developing a family budget or if the "buy now-pay later" way of life has you facing a pile of bills each month, our counselors will work to help you find a solution to your needs.  Our credit counseling services are confidential and can be in person or over the phone.  There is a minimal charge of $25.00 for a budget counseling session.

Our offices are conveniently located in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Norfolk, North Platte, and Council Bluffs, IA.

What Are Your Financial Goals for 2014?

What Are Your Financial Goals for 2014?

Hello, my name is Sharon Taubert of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Nebraska! I’m sure you’ve seen all the ads on TV; trying to lose weight and set other New Year’s resolutions. Here at Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Nebraska, why not try setting new goals for your money? This could include saving, investing and most importantly, trying to get out of debt. It could be as easy as cutting or set the cards aside and when you go shopping, only using cash and sticking to your list.

If you happen to get into trouble with spending, like we’ve all done over Christmas, just call us a Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Nebraska at 1-877-494-2227. Don’t become weary over your New Year’s resolution; you can do it and we can help!

Thanks and have a great day!

Have You Considered Mortgage Counseling?

Have You Considered Mortgage Counseling?

Today I’m here with Stephanie Block, a mortgage counselor here at CCCS for five years.  With her expertise, she’s helped a lot of families remain in their homes and resolve their mortgage problems. Stephanie counsels people who are delinquent with their mortgage and works with their lender to help them get current. We see people who have lost their job, hours reduced, divorced, a death in their family or any other reason they may have for falling behind on their mortgage.

Stephanie makes sure to tell people that they aren’t the only one facing these problems even though their situation seems unique to them. If you’re in need of mortgage counseling, your first step would be to set up an appointment with our housing department and you will be sent a packet that will tell you step by step what information needs to be brought to the counseling session. Our disclosures, our privacy information, your paystubs, bank statements and anything else that will help us assess your situation in the best way.

This may seem intimidating, but it makes for the most beneficial appointment. The best part of Stephanie’s job is seeing the relief on her client’s face after having spoken with them. She also says that people feel better before anything is even done because of the confidence she instills in them. Although there is relief in the first session, Stephanie explains that there is multiple contacts that must be made with the lender to assist the client.

I would like to thank Stephanie for joining us today and I encourage you to reach out to our housing department if you are in need of any counseling. Thanks and have a great day!

What Do Our Credit Counselors Do For You?

What Do Our Credit Counselors Do For You?

Welcome back and thank you joining me! Today I have brought in Brian Broich who is one of our certified counselors and has been with the company for 17 years. Brian works out of our Grand Island branch which is one of six locations throughout the state; we also council in state of Iowa as well. Over Brian’s 17 year career at CCCS, he has experience a lot but still remembers one of his first clients. That client was an older gentleman with $100,000 in credit card debt when he came to Brian and CCCS for help. With some effective budgeting and some discipline on his part, he was able to pay to the debt plan out within five years.

CCCS believes that if you give the person the right set of tools, they can build anything and with the right knowledge, they can solve any problem. When Brian understands where the person is coming from and where they want to go, he’s able to create a roadmap to get the person where they want to go. Brian creates what he calls a “client action plan” that is unique to the specific individual and can be simple cases of budget planning instead of advising the person to get a second job or having their children take on more responsibility. The best advice is to the clients is to have an open mind and all clients will be treated with compassion, respect and understanding. All we need from the client is their income, a completed CCCS application and who their creditors are.

We thank Brian for giving us some insight on our credit counselor’s expertise. If anyone is need of credit or budget counseling, please give contact us. Thanks and have a great day!

Consumer Credit Counseling Service is Here for You!

Consumer Credit Counseling Service is Here for You!

My name is Don Leu and I am the President and CEO of Consumer Credit Counseling Service. For over 37 years, Consumer Credit Counseling Service has been providing valuable services to the community and individuals in need of budget, debt management and housing counseling. Our certified counselors are here for you and with a simple appointment and some work on your part, they can set you up with a budget, debt management or foreclosure plan that will help you, provide advice, education and solutions.

Our team is here to assist you not with an appointment, but with a relationship. Many of our customers have been referred to us through family and friends who have sought advice and been satisfied with our services.

If you’re in need of any of these services, please call us or visit our website. Thank you and have a great day!