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What do I do if I can't pay all my bills on time?

As many Americans continue to struggle with the recent increased costs of living expenses such as insurance, gas, housing, insurance and more as well as possible furloughs or layoffs, assessing your financial situation and prioritizing bills is an important first step. This tool created by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may assist you.

How do I get financial relief from my bank?

Banks have been instructed to offer flexibility to meet the needs of their customers dealing with the Coronavirus crisis.

NDI has created a document to help you talk to your bank about your financial challenges.

How do I use online or mobile banking?

By using online and mobile banking, consumers can access their bank account and pay bills. The online and mobile banking tips for beginners (button below) can assist in understanding how to use both.

How can I open a bank account online to have my money deposited directly?

Many banks offer ways to open bank accounts remotely – online or through a mobile app – without going to a bank branch. FDIC created a short video that shows you how to open an account online. The FDIC BankFind tool helps you locate FDIC-insured banks in your area. Some banks and credit unions are part of a coalition known as “Bank On.” These banks have low-fee affordable banking options.

How can I find ways to cut expenses?

Review your monthly expenses and see if additional costs can be cut during this time.

What are some tips on ways I can save money?

Saving can start with just a few simple changes to your spending. Visit Better Money Habits for a few tips on ways to save money on your everyday expenses, like groceries, transportation, and entertainment.

Planning weekly menus and creating a shopping list is one easy way to save money! Learn how to plan ahead and create a weekly menu and food shopping list to potentially save money by limiting trips to the grocery store and cutting down on impulse buying.

Saving several months’ worth of living expenses to build a larger emergency fund can be much more intimidating, especially when it feels lik your available cash is already accounted for each month. Visit Better Money Habits for tips on how to jump-start your emergency fund.

What if I am having difficulty accessing services from my bank?

The federal bank regulators, FDIC and OCC, have posted answers to frequently asked questions that individuals may have regarding access to banking services during the COVID-19 health and financial crisis. Many banks have closed local branches in neighborhoods across the country. Answers to frequently asked questions include:

  • What to do if you find your local bank branch closed and you are also having difficulty reaching a representative by phone.
  • You can’t afford to pay your credit card bill, mortgage or car loan.
  • You need to transfer funds from your bank to a family member or friend.
  • What to do if the IRS sent your Economic Impact Payment to a closed bank account.
Where can I find information on how to get financial relief through a loan, retirement plan or IRA distribution related to COVID-19?

In general, the CARES Act provides for expanded distribution options and favorable tax treatment for up to $100,000 of Coronavirus-related distributions from eligible retirement plans (certain employer retirement plans, such as section 401(k) and 403(b) plans and IRAs) to qualified individuals, as well as special rollover rules with respect to such distributions. It also increases the limit on the amount a qualified individual may borrow from an eligible retirement plan (not including an IRA) and permits a plan sponsor to provide qualified individuals up to an additional year to repay their plan loans. The IRS plans to issue more formal guidance in the coming months.

Learn about expanded distribution options and loans from retirement plans and certain IRAs.

Where can I find information or assistance regarding credit card debt relief?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has prepared guidance regarding credit rights and responsibilities regarding credit card debt. Information includes financial relief options to customers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn what options are available to help you with credit card debt.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC) is one of the largest and longest serving nonprofit financial counseling organizations in the U.S. Their programs and services are accessed through their national network of nonprofit member agencies. Each agency is staffed by NFCC Certified Financial Counselors. NFCC Certified Financial Counselors are trained to provide credit counseling sessions to address serious repayment issues involving credit card debt, home-related debt and student loans. Working with a nonprofit NFCC member agency, they may help you determine if you might be eligible for a Debt Management Plan to provide affordable payment terms and, in some cases, an extended payment timeline.

Professional certified financial counselors and coaches are available through the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education® (AFCPE) to help you manage financial challenges you might be facing. These financial professionals are available nationwide to offer you trustworthy virtual financial counseling or coaching sessions. AFCPE counselors and coaches can help with determining which bills to pay first and which payments can be deferred without getting penalized, as well as building a plan to help you pay off your debt and creating strategies to avoid debt in the future.

I am thinking about using my home equity to cover expenses during the Coronavirus pandemic. Where can I find more information?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) provides information for those who may be considering refinancing their mortgage or taking out a home equity loan to deal with increased expenses, a loss of income or for any other reason. While using home equity may be a good option for some consumers, it may put others at increased financial risk down the road. If your finances don’t recover as quickly as expected, or your home loses value and you have difficulty paying your loan, you could lose your home to foreclosure. Review guidance including efforts to make it easier to leverage your home value to afford expenses now.

Explore home equity options during COVID-19.

Is there assistance to help me better understand healthcare debt I may owe to Tricare?

If you are being treated for chronic, high risk, catastrophic or terminal illness, you can get case management services at no cost through Tricare eligibility. Case managers can help you figure out complex health care and support system issues.

Connect with a Debt Collection Assistance Officer (DCAO) to get the help you need.

Do you have extra time for your family to learn money skills with fun activities?

Test your money skills and give your brain a workout with fun and educational games. Games can be powerful teaching tools. Use these fun, interactive games to help teach financial skills. Find resources on health, safety, education and banking to help protect your health and finances.

With these games, you can also build kids’ money skills while they’re home from school. These activities are based on research about how money skills are developed during childhood. The activities are free, and you don’t need to be a money expert to use them.

Learn money management skills through interactive games.

What are some options for getting cash in a pinch?

There are a variety of options and all have pros and cons. Each individual situation is unique and supports, services and programs are subject to change rapidly. However, there are general rules to follow. Continue to check for federal, state and local options, including those in your community, as well for financial relief during these difficult times.

Explore options to increase cash flow.

Are there any resources available to help to pay for telephone or internet charges so that I can keep in touch with others?
There are a couple of options to assist with reducing your internet and telephone charges.
Lifeline is a federal program to help make communications services more affordable for eligible consumers. This benefit provides eligible consumers with a monthly discount of up to $9.25. Consumers living on Tribal lands are eligible for an enhanced discount of up to $34.25 per month.

You may be eligible to get Lifeline based on your income or participation in a government assistance program. Learn more about qualifying.

You can only use Lifeline for either phone or internet, but not both, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules prohibit more than one Lifeline service per household.

Find out if you Qualify and Apply for Lifeline

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.

On December 31, 2021 the FCC launched the ACP as a longer-term replacement for the Emergency Broadband benefit (EBB) program.  Households fully enrolled in the EBB program as of December 31, 2021 will continue to receive their current monthly benefit until March 1, 2022, You can learn more about the program transition and steps you may need to take to stay enrolled after March 1st by visiting fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit.

Under ACP, if your household is eligible, you can receive:

  • Up to a $30/month discount on your internet service
  • Up to a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying Tribal lands
  • A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)

Two-Steps to Enroll

  1. Go to ACPBenefit.org to submit an application or print out a mail-in application; and
  2. Contact your preferred participating provider to select a plan and have the discount applied to your bill.

Some providers may have an alternative application that they will ask you to complete.

Only one monthly service discount and one device discount is allowed per household. To receive the connected device discount, consumers need to enroll in the ACP with a participating provider that offers connected devices (Note: not all internet company offer device discounts.) The internet company will provide the discount to the consumer.

Eligible households must both apply for the program and contact a participating provider to select a service plan. For additional information visit the FCC Affordable Connectivity Program

Please note:  If eligible, You can also combine these benefits with other state and local benefits where available. They can be applied to the same qualifying service or separately to a Lifeline service and an Affordable Connectivity Program service with the same or different providers. For example, an eligible household could have a Lifeline-supported mobile phone service and a separate home internet service that is supported through the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Find out if you qualify for Lifeline to reduce your internet or telephone bill and how to apply.

Find out if you qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program to help make internet more affordable and how to apply.

What should I do if I'm having trouble paying my student loans?

Visit our Student Loans page to learn important information about paying your student loans or qualifying for a student loan discharge.

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COVID-19 Stimulus

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Housing, Food + Healthcare

Identity Theft

Employment + Unemployment

National Disability Institute
LifeCents

The Financial Resilience Center was developed by National Disability Institute with generous funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation.

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