When will you start paying my bills?

It is really up to you. You can arrange for your first payment to be debited between 3 business days and as late as 30 calendar days from your date of enrollment. Please bear in mind that your payment dates must be between the 1st and 28th day of each month. In the event that your debit date falls on a weekend or holiday, the transaction will occur on the next business day. Payments are disbursed to your creditors after a brief validation period.

Why have I lost my benefits?

Your creditors might stop applying benefits due to some of the following reasons:

1. Skipping Payments:
   

   Skipping a payment could affect benefits with your creditors since they expect to receive payments every 30 days. When you skip a payment, creditors are within their rights to charge late fees and higher interest rates, especially if you do not make up that payment. If you lost benefits due to missed payments, we will encourage you to contact us to make up the missed payment and then we can send a new proposal to the creditor.
   
   

2. Paying outside of the program:
   

   You can lose your program benefits if you send payments to your creditors outside the program. Please avoid sending payments directly to your creditors. Contact us if you need to make extra payment and we can increase your next payment amount.
   
   

3. Opening new credit accounts:
   

   By opening any new accounts after joining the program, you could risk your benefits. Please contact us if you are not receiving benefits, but you have not missed any payments and have made more than three consistent payments on the program. A CareOne representative will contact your creditor concerning your benefits, then we will contact you once there has been a resolution.

The big difference between a secured credit card and an unsecured credit card is that a savings deposit serves as collateral for a secured credit card. To get a secured card, you deposit money into a savings account. Depending upon the policy of the issuer, you may not be able to withdraw this money until the account is closed. When comparing secured and unsecured credit cards, there are several differences to keep in mind:

1. There may be an application or processing fee to open the account
2. Annual fees may be high
3. The credit limit may start out very low, such as $100 or $200
4. The interest or finance charge is generally higher
5. If you do not pay the bank on time each month, the issuer may withdraw the amount you owe from the savings deposit.

This may sound as if the secured card is not a good choice, but it may be appropriate if you have a less than perfect credit history. As you pay your bill on time each month, it helps you build a positive credit history.

What are my current balances?

Your credit counseling agency does not maintain the current balances on your accounts. Please check your most recent creditor statements for your most up-to-date balances. Please contact the CCA by e-mail or phone to remove creditors as they are paid in full.