Disclosure
Pre-Filing Credit Counseling
Disclosures for pre-filing credit counseling services
Please read the following statements carefully so that you will understand the procedures for this session.
Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc. has over 19 years of experience educating consumers and Debtors about money and credit. Our certified instructors have completed the certification program with Fincert and are required to continue their education yearly to maintain this highly regarded certification. Our agency is a member of the FCAA Financial Counseling Association of America.
In addition, the Quality Management System of Premier Consumer Credit Counseling that provides Credit Counseling and Debt Management Services is certified by SARA Registrar, and we were issued certificate number SARA-2021-CA-0273-A, after finding we fall within with the requirements of ISO 9001: 2015 standards. Registration is whereby a third-party, such as SARA Registrar, visits an organization, assesses their management system, and issues a certificate to show that the organization meets the requirements of the standard. Once a company has been issued with a certificate, SARA Management Systems, as a registrar, visits the organization on a regular basis to assess whether they continue to meet the requirements of the standard.
Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc. is a non-profit agency in the State of Florida. We are organized and operate in accordance with Florida State Nonprofit. Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc. does not receive funding in the form of grants from banks and other financial institutions that support financial counseling. The sole source of funding for Premier comes from clients that take the credit counseling course. We do not pay or receive fees or other considerations for referrals of debtor students to our agency. Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc. is obligated to provide your certificate promptly upon completion of counseling/briefing, and we will do this within one business day upon the completion of your course. You will only receive your certificate upon completion of counseling. The EOUST has only reviewed and approved Pre-filing credit counseling and Post-filing debtor education services. Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc. may offer services to help with unsecured debt if needed.
The program we offer is online; the program will ask questions about your budget, assets, creditors and factors that led you to consider bankruptcy. There is a requirement by law that you must have interaction with your counselor in the counseling process. Your counselor will contact by phone or email to ask questions about the information you provided. Your counselor will discuss the factors/reasons leading you to why you are considering bankruptcy, and review your budget, creditors and assets. Your counselor will conduct an analysis of your financial situation, explore all alternatives to resolve your credit problems, and develop an individualized written action plan for dealing with your situation. The quality of your counseling session does not depend upon whether you decide to file for bankruptcy or not.
Once this is complete you will be notified by email to log back into the program where you can print copies of all this information for your records.
At the conclusion of the counseling, you will be provided with a certificate that you will need, should you decide to file for bankruptcy. The certificate of completion will be issued no later than one business days after you complete the counseling session. You will only receive the certificate if you complete the entire session. This certificate is valid for 180 days from the date and time the counseling is completed.
A Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc. certified consumer credit counselor will be conducting this session. While he/she has expertise in helping those with financial problems, he/she cannot provide you with legal advice. In fact, this session is designed to provide you with information and alternatives; it is not intended to take the place of a consultation with an attorney to explore your legal rights and options.
To help cover the cost of providing this session to you, this agency charges a fee. The cost of counseling via internet delivery is $50 for a single and $75 if you will file jointly, payable by Debit card/ACH/Zelle. The fee may be waived based on your lack of ability to pay. A waived fee is based on 150% of poverty guidelines updated periodically by the US Department of Health and Human Services. You may be eligible for a fee waiver or reduced course fee. Please read the following information: Both filers are required to sign up for the course together to receive the joint filing fee. If joint filers take the course separately, an additional fee will be charged for the additional course. Only upon successful completion of the counseling session, a certificate of completion will be issued.
This certificate will meet the requirements of the Bankruptcy Prevention and Consumer Protection Act. Should you have any questions regarding reduced fees, or feel you are owed a refund or credit from your attorney as a result, please consult your attorney. Based on this information, if you think you qualify for a waiver please call 1.800.296.4950 or Contact Us at http://premierconsumer.org/contact-us. The $50 (single) or $75 (jointly) fee includes any fees associated with generation of the certificate.
Any client may request a waiver of the counseling fee. Approval of the waiver is based, in part, on the criteria listed below. A decision will be made on a case by case basis and the class may be available for free, not based on a client’s ability to pay Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc.’s Fee Waiver Policy is as follows:
Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc., provides services without regard to a client’s ability to pay. You may be eligible for a fee waiver upon written verification of your household income. A client presumptively lacks the ability to pay the fee if the client’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.
Please use this calculator to detemermine poverty level
2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia| Persons in Family/Household | Poverty Guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $15,060 |
| 2 | $20,440 |
| 3 | $25,820 |
| 4 | $31,200 |
| 5 | $36,580 |
| 6 | $41,960 |
| 7 | $47,340 |
| 8 | $52,720 |
| For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,380 for each additional person. |
2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines for Alaska
| Persons in Family/Household | Poverty Guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $18,810 |
| 2 | $25,540 |
| 3 | $32,270 |
| 4 | $39,000 |
| 5 | $45,730 |
| 6 | $52,460 |
| 7 | $59,190 |
| 8 | $65,920 |
| For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $6,730 for each additional person. |
2024 Federal Poverty Guidelines for Hawaii
| Persons in Family/Household | Poverty Guideline |
|---|---|
| 1 | $17,310 |
| 2 | $23,500 |
| 3 | $29,690 |
| 4 | $35,880 |
| 5 | $42,070 |
| 6 | $48,260 |
| 7 | $54,450 |
| 8 | $60,640 |
| For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $6,190 for each additional person. |
In order to determine further eligibility for a fee waiver or reduction, please provide copies of the following documentation:
- a copy of your most current paystub or award letter;
- a copy of your most current bank statement;
- how many people are currently living in your household;
- and a brief narrative of your financial situation; and last,
- complete contact information, including your phone number and email address.
If you are unable to send proof of any of the requested information, please detail the reason for this in your narrative.
The information may be sent:
- by faxing to 305.827.3778; or
- by mailing to Premier Consumer Credit Counseling Inc., at 1840 W 49th Street, Suite 604A, Hialeah, Florida 33012
Approval for a waiver of the counseling fees must be applied for and received before the course is started. Refunds will not be given after the fact.
Please note: Approval for a waiver of the counseling fee expires 30 days from the date you were notified. If the course has not been started within 30 days of receiving fee waiver approval notification, you must resubmit your documentation for fee waiver approval.
For questions, please call toll-free: 1-800-296-4950.
Any client may request a waiver of the counseling fee. Approval of the waiver is based, in part, on the criteria listed below. A decision will be made on a case-by-case basis and the class may be available for free, not based on a client's ability to pay. Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc’s Waiver Policy is as follows:
Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc., provides services without regard to a client's ability to pay. You may be eligible for a fee waiver upon written verification of your household income. A client presumptively lacks the ability to pay the fee if the client'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.
Counseling in Motion is an online session. This online session will take at minimum 60 minutes in duration. Counseling in Motion will require verification of the person who is taking this counseling session prior to its commencement and before completion of the counseling. After completing the online counseling session you will have personal interaction with one of our certified bankruptcy counselors who will review with you the factors that caused your current conditions and help you develop a plan to respond to the financial problems without incurring negative amortization of debt.
In order to assist you, it is essential that you provide us with information that is as accurate and complete as possible. For that reason, we may ask you to authorize us to access your credit history. Your credit report is not impacted by obtaining counseling through our agency and our agency will not disclose or provide any information about this counseling session to any credit reporting agency. Rest assured that the information concerning your financial condition and status that you provide during this session is strictly confidential. Such information would include, but is not limited to, income, debts, credit accounts, earnings, assets, employment data, etc. We will not disclose any such information that you provide orally or in writing to anyone, except as authorized by you in writing or as required by law, such as in response to a subpoena or to the United States Trustee in their oversight of this agency or during the investigation of complaints, during on-site visits or during quality service reviews.
We may compile data and aggregate information that you give us, but this information will not be disclosed in any manner that would personally identify you.
As one of your options, you have the opportunity to negotiate an alternative payment schedule with regard to each unsecured consumer debt. If you should decide to enter into a Debt Management Plan ("DMP"), in which our agency can provide, (which will be explained in thecredit counseling session) you will be provided with separate agreement and disclosure forms. If you choose to use a DMP you may incur additional fees which would be explained to you should you be interested in this program.
If you choose to file for bankruptcy, you should know that your bankruptcy will affect your credit report. A bankruptcy does not delete accurate information off of your credit report regarding your past delinquencies. A bankruptcy is a matter of public record and will be reported in the public section of your credit report. A bankruptcy will have a negative effect on your credit report and credit score. A potential creditor, landlord, or employer in the future may view this negatively. Depending on the type of bankruptcy you file, a bankruptcy may remain on your credit report for 7 to 10 years.
If, after your counseling session, you choose to enroll in a Debt Management program (DMP), participation in a debt management program may change information which is already on your credit report. If your credit report shows that you have paid your accounts as agreed in the past, a Debt Management Program could have a negative impact on a creditworthiness decision by a potential creditor, landlord, or employer in the future.
Our agency has a policy of prohibiting it from paying or receiving referral fees for the referral of clients, except under a fair share agreement. No fees are either paid or received by our agency for the referral of a client to a bankruptcy attorney or any bankruptcy alternative agency.
We do provide counseling in English and Spanish, should you require another language please visit the US Trustee site.
If you are dissatisfied with the service provided by our agency you can utilize the Complaint Resolution Process.
Mandatory Disclosures
- Premier Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc., is approved to issue certificates evidencing completion of a pre-bankruptcy credit counseling course in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. Approval does not endorse or assure the quality of a Provider's services.
- This course is available on the Internet 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
- Our normal business hours are Monday — Friday 8 am to 5 pm EST. A live counselor will be available during this time to answer any questions. For questions that arise outside normal business hours, a counselor from Premier will answer the question before 12pm EST the following business day.
- We have an obligation to provide a certificate to the client promptly upon completion of the counseling services. We will only provide a certificate of completion once the debtor has completed the online portion of the course and speaks to a counselor. A counselor will be available during normal business hours of Monday — Friday 8 am to 5pm EST.
- The counselors at Premier that will be providing your bankruptcy credit counseling briefing are experienced and trained professionals that have received in-depth training in our program. They are skilled at helping you understand the materials presented and help you apply the new skills in your life. Each counselor has experience in accounting, financial planning, credit counseling, or personal financial management.
- The counselors at Premier may answer general questions about bankruptcy but are prohibited from providing legal or tax advice. If you require legal or tax advice, please seek the assistance of an attorney or tax professional.
- Our policy prohibits us from paying or receiving referral fees for the referral of debtors.
- We will NOT provide the certificate of completion to the Bankruptcy Court on your behalf. To ensure that you and your attorney receive the certificate of completion, it is your responsibility to ensure that the contact information provided for you and your attorney is correct. You are solely responsible for ensuring that you and your attorney receive the certificate of completion in a timely manner.
- We might disclose debtor information to the United States Trustee in connection with the United States Trustee's oversight of Premier, or during the investigation of complaints, during on-site visits, or during quality-of-service reviews.
- No information gathered or the results of the Credit Counseling session will be disclosed to any Credit Reporting Agency. You are expected to determine whether there are better alternatives to bankruptcy. Such alternatives may include, but are not limited to, debt management, debt settlement, making partial payments of the amount due, or non-payment.
- The United State Trustee has reviewed only our credit counseling and personal financial management instructional course pursuant to 11 U.S.C 111(d) . The US Trustee has neither reviewed or approved any other services we provide to clients.
If at any time you need to speak with one of our certified bankruptcy counselors please call 1.800.296.4950 or Contact Us at http://premierconsumer.org/contact-us.
