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FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTERS: ANOTHER WAY TO GET HELP If you'd like broader and ongoing financial help, see if there is a Financial Empowerment Center in your area. FECs, which provide
free one-on-one financial counseling for people of all income levels, are offered in partnership with local governments. You can see where FECs are available by using this map. Financial
Empowerment Center counselors can help you review your budget, figure out how to reach your goals, and prioritize all your financial obligations, not just your debt. “We target ourselves to
someone who is working through a financial issue or working toward a financial goal,” says Becky Johnson, program manager of the Pittsburgh Financial Empowerment Center. The counselors can
help with budgeting, credit counseling, saving and banking, says Damara Parra, supervising financial counselor with the New York City Financial Empowerment Center. Many people contact FECs
after going through life changes — such as losing or changing a job, getting divorced or going down to one income — for help adjusting their budget. Others contact them when they're
experiencing a financial hardship. “It's never too early, and it's never too late,” says Johnson. “The missed payments are going to turn into something bigger." If you need
temporary help paying your bills after you lose your job, the counselors can get on the phone with you when you call your lenders and your other creditors, such as utility companies, and can
help you learn what to say when asking about hardship programs and payment plans. “That's the empowerment piece – giving people the skills and confidence to use the tools available to
them,” says Johnson. They can also help you get your credit report and show you what you can do to improve it. “We help them look at their credit report and understand what it means and what
they can do to fix it,” says Parra. If you could benefit from a debt management program, they may refer you to a credit counseling agency, or they may help you work with your budget and
provide ongoing financial counseling. “We will look at the whole situation,” says Parra.