As a United States Senate FCU member, you have access to BALANCE, a financial education and counseling service dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. BALANCE offers unbiased, general advice as well as in-depth financial counseling. Here are some of the ways BALANCE can assist you:
Teaching skills for balancing your checkbook, buying a home, and setting goals.
Reviewing your credit report.
Negotiating with creditors and creating a debt managment plan.
Preventing bankruptcy.
BALANCE also has a financial education resource center at www.balancepro.net/cueducation. Here you have access to their publications library, which provides information about housing, credit and debit managment, investing, taxes and more. It may help you find answers to some immediate financial questions.
Financial Services
Money Management Counseling Balance Counselors are qualified to discuss general money management. Credit and housing topics include goal setting, spending and saving plans, credit and credit reports, debt management, buying a first home, mortgage delinquency and foreclosure prevention.
Debt Management Plans If your bills are starting to pile up, Balance counselors can review your options for repaying the debt, and even provide a structured repayment plan.
Credit Report Review
Balance will provide you with a copy of your credit report, including your credit score, for $8- and counselors are available to review the content with you.
Housing counseling Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments you'll ever make; Balance counselors can help you make a plan to ensure you're armed with all the knowledge you'll need.
Bankruptcy Prevention Unit This unit is designed to work with creditors to set up temporarily reduced payment plans for people with short-term hardship situations.
Download Center
Download a Worksheet before you call
Please download or use the online worksheet to record your existing financial situation. During the call, the Balance counselor will ask you what you entered for each category, and will use this information to offer solutions and suggestions to help you master your money.
If you prefer, BALANCE can send you hard copies of their forms. Please email them at info@balancepro.orgwith your request.
Client Work Sheet: To design the most effective plan for becoming debt free and achieving your financial goals, your counselor will need to know your monthly income and living expenses as well as how much you owe to each of your creditors.
Money Management Planner:Download this budgeting tool to see if you're right on track or if you'll need to make adjustments in order to save enough to reach your goals.
Fritter Finder: Ever wonder where all your money goes? For at least one week, track every cent you spend. At the end of the week, you'll see just where all those extra dollars could be hiding.
Personal Assistance
To use this program, call Balance at 1-888-456-2227 or visit the BALANCE website.
Counselors are available to talk with you during the hours of operation listed below:
