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Crisis Mode Participant's Guide Crisis Mode Participant’s Guide 1 www.bankonhr.org About Bank On Bank On Hampton Roads is truly a unique experience. Like a wellness plan for your finances, Bank On Hampton Roads offers all the education, support and encouragement you need to launch your financial plans. In this five month program, participants are encouraged to take the financial challenge to: • Increase Income • Grow Savings • Reduce Debt • Improve Credit Score • Protect Assets The way Bank On Hampton Roads works is you attend one class per month and meet with a personal financial coach once per month. In class you will learn some of the strategies for overcoming paycheck to paycheck living and speedy ways to reduce debt and see your savings grow. As you meet with your financial coach, you will build a financial plan centered on your goals and your dreams. With the combination of knowledge and improved financial management techniques, you can see your dreams become reality! Bank On Hampton Roads is one of over 70 programs across the United States organized to improve your financial opportunities by building relationships with trusted financial partners and empowering you to take greater financial control. Classes begin in February and September and the program is absolutely free to the participant. Many of Bank On Hampton Roads resources are available online at www.bankonhr.org. DISCLAIMER: The information contained in these materials and on the Bank On Hampton Roads website is provided by Bank On Hampton Roads for educational and informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice. The content contains general information and may not reflect recent developments or regulatory changes. Bank On Hampton Roads expressly disclaims all liability with respect to actions taken or not taken by the recipient based on any or all of the information in these materials. 2 www.bankonhr.org Crisis Mode Participant Guide Revision - January 2017 Table of Contents • Welcome • Pre-Test • When You Are In Crisis • Prioritizing Payments • Making Hard Decisions • Communicating with Creditors • Negotiating Tips • Letters to Creditors • Your Rights and Responsibilities with Collectors • Halting Creditor Calls • Garnishments • More Legal Actions • Workout Options to Avoid Foreclosure • Types of Bankruptcy • The Downside of Bankruptcy • Debts that Are Not Discharged During Bankruptcy • Alternatives to Bankruptcy • Financial Abuse • Post-Test • Glossary 3 www.bankonhr.org Welcome Welcome to the Crisis Mode module! Objectives After completing this module, you will be able to: • Know your rights and responsibilities with creditors • Understand what steps you can take to minimize financial crisis • Know how to prioritize payments when resources are limited • Create positive relationships with your creditors • Understand legal actions that may result from non-payment of debt • Know how Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies differ • Recognize indicators of financial abuse • Identify steps to free yourself from financial abuse Participant Materials This Crisis Mode Participant Guide contains: • Checklists and tip sheets • A glossary of the terms used in this module 4 www.bankonhr.org Pre-Test Test your knowledge about financial services 1. Which expense should have highest priority? a. Food b. Clothing c. Shelter d. Transportation 2. Collection agencies are allowed to call you at your residence between what hours? a. 6am to 11pm b. 8am to 9pm c. Any time 3. You have $100 left for bill payment. You have two bills of $100 each. What is the best option? a. Go out to eat to de-stress and then divide what is leftover between the two b. Pay neither; treat them both the same c. Send $50 to each company d. Pay one bill completely and nothing on the other 4. If a court orders a wage garnishment against you for not paying your rent, how much can they take out of every paycheck? a. Up to 25% of disposable earnings b. Up to 50% of disposable earnings c. 100% of your paycheck 5. In Virginia, your vehicle cannot be repossessed until your payment is at least 15 days past due. a. True b. False 5 www.bankonhr.org When You Are In Crisis People evaluate crisis differently. For the purposes of this module, you are in crisis if you cannot meet your necessary expenses. You may not be in crisis if you merely don’t have entertainment or allowance money for the month. At the point of crisis, all attention is off the “wants” and is focused on “needs.” Causes of crisis include: loss of work, reduction in income, unplanned or unexpected expenses (medical, etc.), some threat (abuse, robbery, ID theft) or a legal action (e.g. garnishment, levy, repo). You CAN navigate your way through a crisis. Below is a list of steps you can take to help you through. Because this is a stressful situation, consider ways you can control your stress levels. Navigating through financial crisis can be emotional and overwhelming; but with some basic financial steps, you gain greater control Evaluate your condition: •When are your bills due? List your monthly financial obligations. •How much income can you expect and when? •Do you have assets that can be turned into cash to help you make an essential payment? What are your options? Additional Income: A part-time job may help you earn additional income to minimize the crisis. Think about how you can turn a hobby or special skill into a source of income even for a short period of time. Austerity Living: First, prioritize needs and then wants. You may have a couple of months where “wants” are neglected. Supplemental Support: Assistance may be available through family, church or public programs. Bank On Hampton Roads website has a Resource Guide of non-profit and public organizations to assist in a time of need. Creditor Arrangements: Contact and negotiate with your creditors to consider your options. Debt Consolidation: This may or may not be an option, but it’s one that may be worth exploring. It’s a longer term fix, but it can free up cash. See Resource Guide for additional credit counseling resources. Make a plan: •Prioritize payments to ensure that your essential expenses are covered. •Map your money – estimate income and expenses for the next few weeks to ensure there is enough to address high priority items. •Involve the family – everyone has to be on board with getting through this tough time. Danger Zones: There are a lot of companies offering to help you when you are in crisis and not all of them have your best interest in mind. Credit repair scams, payday and title lenders all offer quick fixes, but they could end up hurting you in the long run. Be very careful! Avoid Repeating: The good news is that what you are learning can help keep you out of crisis mode by building savings and establishing good repayment practices. 6 www.bankonhr.org Prioritizing Payments Take time to evaluate your payments and organize them according to priority. Highest priority payments would be those that would have the greatest negative consequences if they were not addressed. Examples of very high priority expenses: Shelter is highest priority and should be paid at any cost. Pay your rent or mortgage first. Not giving top priority to shelter could result in loss of your home. Utilities should be your next priority. Without running water or electricity, social services agencies may become involved to evaluate the health and wellbeing of the family. Transportation is critical because you need a way to get to work. In our community, public transportation is limited in certain areas, so many of us need our personal vehicles. Non- payment can result in repossession. Food is essential to stay healthy. You can’t work if you aren’t well. In a crisis situation, you may find community resources that offer food pantries or support for food. Call 2-1-1 for a referral to local providers. Public programs like SNAP also assist with food needs. Medicine could be a top priority if you have a condition that requires prescription medicines. After your highest priorities are paid, then list your other payment obligations. Student Loan service providers offer a number of repayment plans. It is worthwhile to contact them to discuss your options. Credit Card Debt is unsecured, so there is no asset that the credit card company can take from you if you do not make a payment. Contact them when financial difficulties arise for payment alternatives. Internet and Cable are often viewed as necessities, however, life can continue if these bills are given lesser priority. Eating Out is a convenience. In a time of crisis, this may be able to be deferred until you are able to regain some financial stability. Carefully evaluate your needs vs. wants. Entertainment offers fun, but in a time of crisis, this expense can be deferred as it is not essential. There are ways to entertain for free like libraries, parks and other free activities. Clothing is definitely a need, but in a time of crisis, you may be able to defer the cost of clothing until you are able to recover. 7 www.bankonhr.org Making Hard Decisions Always, always, always pay your rent or mortgage first. Pay credit cards last if you have to (just be sure to contact the credit card companies before you stop paying). What is the worst thing that can happen to you if you stop paying your credit card bills? Yes, your credit score will drop, but that’s probably already happened if you cannot make some of your payments. So, that should not factor into your decision. A foreclosure or eviction will be much worse that not paying your credit card bills.
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