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National Foundation for Credit Counseling (CCCS) Information

By Sam Thompson

Real Estate Technology with BIC Services, LLC

July 20, 2008 05:15 PM

During a regional meeting last week, my team got to hear from Ester Acker, Community Education and Outreach Coordinator with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Fayetteville. During her presentation we learned that even a $1 medical collection or a recent late can impact a credit score by as much as 100 points depending on the current credit history.

With the tightening of the credit industry and with the better reporting of collections, etc., by collection agencies and creditors, we all need to be on top this. Good advice for everyone is to check your credit score annually for free at www.annualcreditreport.com

For anyone that is in trouble with their credit or their mortgage, there are several non-profit credit counseling offices nearby such as:

CCCS of Fayetteville
316 Green Street, P.O. Box 2009
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Appointment #: (888) 381-3720

CCCS of Fayettville, Southern Pines Branch Office
235 E. Pennsyvlania Ave.
Southern Pines, NC 28387
Appointment #: (877) 868-3288

CCCS of Lumberton
4850 Fayetteville Rd., Ste 18
Lumberton, NC 28358
Appointment #: (877) 671-4502

Credit Counseling of Florence, a Program of Consumer Credit Counseling Service
1621 W. Palmetto St.
Florence, SC 29501
Appointment #: (800) 223-9213

CCCS of Fayetteville, Sanford Branch Office
403 W. Makepeace St.
Sanford, NC 27330
Appointment #: (877) 686-2101

CCCS of Fayettville, Smithfield Branch Office
245 College Rd.
Smithfield, NC 27577
Appointment #: (877) 870-4877

Credit Counseling of Sumter, a Program of Consumer Credit Counseling Service
31 E. Calhoun St.
Sumter, SC 29150
Appointment #: (803) 774-1314

Family Services CCCS
United Way of Horry County, 761 Century Dr.
Conway, SC 29526
Appointment #: (800) 232-6489

Fees range from FREE to around $75 depending on the services they require.

For realtors in the Fayetteville area, there is a free 2 hour seminar that you can attend August 4th as follows:

Try to attend if you can for your personal knowledge and for your business.

For the national website for the National Credit Counseling Agency, go to: http://www.nfcc.org/

* Just be aware that lenders frown on seeing CCCS on credit reports because it indicates there is a problem managing money. So if a Consumer Credit Counseling Service helps people with their credit, be aware that certain services can prevent borrowers from getting a mortgage for several months. The CCCS advisors will explain this before they begin their work and many services they provide do not show up on credit reports. But for many, their help is the only way borrowers may have to ever get to a position that they can qualify.