Start Here: A Quick Financial Snapshot

• How many unsecured accounts do you have right now? Options: 1–3, 4–7, 8–12, 13 or more, Not sure
• Select the types of unsecured debts that appear on your most recent statements Options: Credit cards, Medical bills, Personal loans, Retail store cards, Collections agency accounts, Other
• For the largest three accounts by balance, walk me through creditor type, current balance, monthly minimum, and date of last payment
• How much total unsecured debt do you estimate you owe across all accounts? Options: Under $10,000, $10,000–$25,000, $25,001–$50,000, Over $50,000, Not sure
• Pick the account types that currently feel most urgent because of collection activity or legal risk Options: Accounts in collections, Creditor calls daily, A demand letter or lawsuit, Threat of wage garnishment, No immediate collection action
• Who in your household needs to be involved in decisions about these accounts? Options: Only me, Spouse or partner, Adult family member, Joint account holder, Other

Where the Pressure Is Hitting You

• If one of these debts resulted in wage garnishment or a lawsuit next month, how would that change your immediate priorities?
• How often do creditors contact you about missed payments and through which channels are they reaching you most? Options: Daily phone calls, Several times a week by phone, Text messages, Letters in the mail, Third-party collectors, Hardly at all
• Describe recent changes to your income or household expenses that make covering minimums harder now than before
• Pick the consequence that would hurt you most right now Options: Loss of housing, Wage garnishment, Bank account levy, Court judgment, Credit score drop, None of the above
• Name a single requirement from a counseling program that would make you decline to enroll Options: Monthly fee I cannot afford, Required automatic payment I cannot set up, Pause payments to some creditors, Sharing detailed personal documents, Program takes too long, Other
• Which payment timing or short-term relief would move the needle for you fastest? Options: Lower monthly payment, Stop collection calls, One-time hold on interest, Temporary suspension of late fees, Other

The Other Paths You're Considering

• Who or what option are you currently leaning toward as a solution and what makes it feel like the safer bet?
• Select the alternative paths you have researched or been offered Options: Do it yourself negotiations, For-profit debt settlement, Bankruptcy, Credit card hardship with issuer, Debt consolidation loan, Nonprofit credit counseling, No action
• For the approach you are most comfortable with today, what would need to be true for you to keep using it instead of switching
• Has anyone in your household or an advisor suggested trying to negotiate without outside help? Options: Yes, we will try ourselves, Someone suggested filing bankruptcy, No one has suggested DIY, Other
• Pick the concerns about outside organizations that have made you hesitate to sign up with them Options: Cost or fees, Trustworthiness, Impact on credit score, Length of program, Privacy of financial data, Loss of control over accounts, Other
• If the alternative you trust now promised a written outcome, would that make you stop evaluating other options? Options: Yes, Maybe, No

What This Is Actually Doing to Your Life

• How much have missed or late payments already limited your borrowing or monthly budget? Options: Severely limited, Somewhat limited, A little, Not noticeably
• Name the bills or creditors that are affecting your ability to pay for essentials like rent, utilities, or groceries
• When was the last time a creditor took a formal step such as sending a demand letter, reporting to collections, or filing a suit? Options: Within 30 days, 31–90 days, 91–180 days, More than 180 days, Never
• How does dealing with calls and letters from creditors affect your day to day stress and decision making?
• Is there a level of collection activity or legal action that would push you toward bankruptcy or another drastic option immediately? Options: Yes, already at that level, Close but not yet, Not close, Unsure

If Things Improved, Which Changes Matter Most

• Choose one financial worry you would eliminate in the next six months and explain how removing it would change your life
• Pick a credit score milestone that would feel like meaningful progress to you Options: Increase 20 points, Increase 50 points, Reach 650, Reach 700, Other
• How soon do you need creditor calls and collection notices to reduce or stop before you consider the plan successful? Options: Within 30 days, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, Longer than 6 months
• Would you commit to enrolling if we demonstrated a realistic path to lower your monthly unsecured payments by at least 25% within three months? Options: Yes, Maybe, No
• What other outcomes would convince you this is working, beyond monthly payment reduction?

Can You Provide the Documents and Authorizations We Need

• Can you provide bank statements and creditor statements for the past 90 days within two weeks? Options: Yes, within 7 days, Yes, within 14 days, I can provide some but not all, No, I cannot
• List the online account types you can access right now to retrieve statements Options: Online banking, Credit card portal, Loan servicer portal, Billing portal for medical providers, I do not have online access
• Do you have the legal authority or documentation needed to allow a counselor to contact your creditors on your behalf? Options: Yes, I can obtain it quickly, No, Not sure
• Are there any legal limits, power of attorney arrangements, or court orders that would prevent authorizing a third party to contact creditors for you? Options: Yes, No, Unsure
• Is there a bank account you can use for a consolidated monthly payment and can you set up an automatic debit? Options: Yes, I can set up automatic debit, Yes, but cannot set automatic debit, No bank account available, Unsure
• Would the inability to provide required documents within 30 days prevent you from proceeding with enrollment? Options: Yes, Maybe, No

Timing, Fees, and the Enrollment Decision

• Would a monthly fee or required automatic payment be a deal breaker for you? Options: Yes, fee is a deal breaker, Yes, automatic payment is a deal breaker, Both are acceptable, Unsure
• Select the monthly fee range that would be manageable for you to support debt management services Options: No fee is manageable, Up to $25, $26–$50, $51–$75, More than $75
• How do you prefer to make monthly payments: automatic bank debit, manual transfer, or another method? Options: Automatic bank debit, Manual bank transfer, Bill pay through bank, Other
• List the people in your household who must sign paperwork for enrollment and give authorization
• How soon could you review and return an enrollment agreement if we sent it today? Options: Immediately, Within 7 days, Within 1–2 weeks, 3–4 weeks, Not ready
• Are there budget items, upcoming events, or constraints that would prevent you from starting within the next 30 days? Options: Yes, major constraint, Some constraint but manageable, No constraints, Unsure

Final Signals: What Would Make You Say Yes

• Assuming we provide a clear timeline and expected outcomes in writing, what remaining objection would still stop you?
• What frequency and channel of updates would make you feel supported during negotiations? Options: Weekly phone call, Weekly email, Biweekly updates, Text messages for urgent items, Customer portal updates
• Provide the preferred contact person for follow up and the best time to reach them
• On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident are you that enrolling in a nonprofit counseling program would improve your financial stability over the next year? Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Would proven lower payments and steady negotiation progress during a pilot month remove your final barriers to continue? Options: Yes, Maybe, No
• List the top three barriers we should prioritize addressing in our first counseling session to increase the chance you enroll

• Confidential Counseling Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the reviewed budget and creditor list accurately represent your current cashflow and obligations.
• Provide signed creditor contact authorization and bank payment authorization if you accept the recommended enrollment path.
• You acknowledge the quantified cost and risks of remaining on the current path for the next 3–12 months.
• Quantify the near-term risks
• Upload the most recent creditor statements and proof of income to verify balances and eligibility for negotiated terms.
• Draft a personalized payment schedule and fee summary that reflects the chosen option and deliver it before the enrollment step.
• You confirm the recommended option and the specific monthly amount you can commit to as the path forward.
• Review your detailed budget and cashflow
• Demonstrate realistic option scenarios with numbers
• You agree on the immediate actions required to proceed to enrollment readiness.
• Schedule the Enrollment Readiness appointment within 7 days to finalize authorizations and documentation if proceeding.
• Validate the recommended path and next steps
• Forced validation question

• Confidential Counseling Session
• Confidential Counseling Deck
• Confidential Counseling Summary

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Deliver initial confidential financial counseling session
• Provide personalized budget analysis and cashflow guidance
• Enroll client in debt management plan
• Negotiate creditor interest rate reductions and fee waivers
• Issue creditor enrollment authorizations and setup notices
• Administer single consolidated monthly payment processing
• Distribute payments to creditors and reconcile accounts
• Manage creditor communications and claim follow-ups
• Provide monthly client statements and progress reports
• Deliver financial literacy workshops for clients
• Provide housing default prevention counseling
• Provide student loan counseling and repayment options

Deliver initial confidential financial counseling session

• Do you have a current consumer credit report available from one or more major bureaus for the counseling session? Options: Yes, No
• How many unsecured creditor accounts do you report for the client (approximate count)? Options: 1-4, 5-9, 10-19, 20+
• Which account types do you want covered in the initial counseling session? Options: Credit cards, Medical bills, Personal loans, Other
• List the immediate financial risks you report for the client (for example wage garnishment, foreclosure, pending lawsuit).
• Provide the preferred language and any accessibility needs you require for the counseling session (interpretation, ADA accommodations). Options: English, Spanish, Other, Interpreter required, ADA accommodation required
• Identify any prior counseling or for-profit debt relief offers you or the client received that we should review.

Provide personalized budget analysis and cashflow guidance

• Estimate the client's monthly net income using the most recent pay stubs or tax returns; can you provide those documents? Options: Yes - pay stubs, Yes - tax returns, No, will provide later
• Specify the fixed monthly expenses you want included in the analysis and approximate amounts (rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance).
• When do you want a recommended monthly contribution to the plan delivered (choose a target dollar amount or percentage of net income)? Options: Dollar amount, Percentage of net income, I want counselor recommendation
• Who in the household do you want included in the budget (client only, spouse, dependents)? Options: Client only, Client + spouse/partner, Client + dependents, Household including all adults
• Confirm any irregular income sources you will document (self-employment, bonuses) and indicate whether you can attach 12 months of records. Options: Yes - attachable, No - need help gathering
• Select which cashflow scenarios you want us to model (baseline, reduced income, accelerated payoff). Options: Baseline, Reduced income, Accelerated payoff, Custom scenario

Enroll client in debt management plan

• What evidence will you accept to validate enrollment in the debt management plan (signed enrollment agreement, processed first ACH debit, creditor confirmation)? Options: Signed enrollment agreement, First ACH processed, Written creditor confirmation, Platform enrollment record
• Describe the fee schedule you expect to be charged at enrollment and during the first year (one-time enrollment fee, monthly maintenance fees).
• Identify the target number of creditors/accounts you expect to include and can you provide an account list with balances? Options: I will provide full account list, I will provide partial list, I need assistance collecting statements
• Estimate the timeline in months you anticipate to complete creditor negotiations and begin consolidated payments. Options: 1-2 months, 3-4 months, 5-6 months, 6+ months
• Specify any creditors you want excluded from the plan and explain why (for example secured loans, student loans unless recommended).
• Provide your preference for monthly payment date and the day of month you prefer for the consolidated payment. Options: 1st-5th, 6th-10th, 11th-20th, 21st-28th, No preference

Negotiate creditor interest rate reductions and fee waivers

• Select which enrolled creditors you want us to prioritize for rate reduction (for example top 3 by balance or highest APR).
• How much interest-rate reduction per creditor would you consider acceptable (for example from 24% to 12%)? Options: 10% reduction, 20% reduction, Reduce to single-digit APR, No specific threshold
• Which creditor account fees do you want us to target for waiver (for example late fees, over-limit fees)? Options: Late fees, Over-limit fees, Returned payment fees, Other
• Outline any written settlement or forbearance offers you have from creditors that could affect our negotiation approach and attach documentation if available.
• Confirm the documentation you will provide to support negotiations (client authorization, most recent statements). Options: Client authorization, Most recent creditor statements, Proof of income, Other
• State the maximum timeline in weeks you will allow to conclude negotiations per creditor. Options: 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6-8 weeks, No strict maximum

Issue creditor enrollment authorizations and setup notices

• Do you already have signed creditor enrollment authorization forms for each account, or do you need our standard authorization template? Options: I have signed authorizations, I need the standard template, I need assistance collecting signatures
• Attach or list creditor account numbers and most recent statement dates you can provide for enrollment.
• Choose the delivery method you prefer for setup notices to creditors (email, paper mail, secure portal submission). Options: Email, Paper mail, Secure portal submission
• Indicate how you want us to receive client signatures for authorizations (e-signature, uploaded PDF, in-person signature). Options: E-signature, Uploaded scanned PDF, In-person signature
• What evidence will you accept as confirmation that creditor enrollment notices were received and accepted (creditor acknowledgement, updated account status, remittance instructions)? Options: Creditor acknowledgement, Updated account status, New remittance instructions, Other
• State the timeframe you expect between our receipt of authorization and creditor setup completion (in business days). Options: 7 days, 14 days, 21-30 days, Custom

Administer single consolidated monthly payment processing

• Who will provide the bank account and routing details for ACH debit, and do you already have an account designated for consolidated payments? Options: Yes - designated account ready, No - need to set up account, I need assistance
• Indicate if you have a preferred payment processor or bank ACH network for monthly collections and name it if so. Options: No preference, I will name a processor
• Describe the cadence and cutoff date you want for initiating monthly ACH debits from the designated account.
• Explain how you want the monthly administration fee applied (deducted before creditor distributions or added to the client contribution). Options: Deducted before distributions, Added to client contribution, Waived first month
• Verify the method you will use to confirm the consolidated monthly payment was processed and distributed correctly (bank ACH confirmation, monthly reconciliation report). Options: Bank ACH confirmation, Monthly reconciliation report, Creditor remittance receipts, Other verification
• Choose the expected cutover date for the first consolidated debit and the earliest month you want payments to begin.

Distribute payments to creditors and reconcile accounts

• List the creditors and account numbers you want included with distribution priority and proposed percentage allocation per month.
• Determine how frequently you want reconciliation reports produced and which fields must appear (payment date, transaction ID, creditor remittance amount). Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, On demand
• Report the acceptable timeframe you expect for creditor posting after distribution (in business days). Options: 1-3 business days, 4-7 business days, 8-14 business days, No strict expectation
• Assign an owner on your team to review monthly reconciliations and resolve shortfalls; provide a name or role.
• Outline the tolerance threshold for allocation discrepancies you want to trigger an investigation (dollar amount or percentage).
• Detail how you want us to escalate unresolved reconciliation items and the service level agreement you expect for resolution (in days).

Manage creditor communications and claim follow-ups

• Pick the primary channel you prefer for creditor outreach (phone, secure portal message, certified mail). Options: Phone, Secure portal message, Certified mail, Email
• Name the assigned contact on your side for creditor calls and follow-ups, with role or contact details.
• Determine the required cadence for creditor follow-ups on open claims that you want (weekly, biweekly, monthly). Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly, As-needed
• Detail the documentation you want retained for each creditor communication (call notes, recorded consent forms, proof of mailing). Options: Call notes, Recorded consent, Proof of mailing, Email threads
• Would you like automated reminders for pending creditor responses and claim deadlines? Options: Yes, No
• Supply any creditor-specific escalation rules or account flags you want us to apply (for example escalate balances over $X or accounts with legal notices).

Provide monthly client statements and progress reports

• Report the elements you want included on the monthly client statement (starting balance, payments received, distributions, remaining balance, interest saved). Options: Starting balance, Payments received, Distributions, Remaining balance, Interest saved, Counselor notes
• Measure which primary metrics you want used to track credit rebuilding progress (on-time payment rate, number of accounts current, credit score change). Options: On-time payment rate, Accounts current, Credit score change, Total interest saved
• Pick the delivery method you prefer for client statements (electronic, mailed paper statement, both). Options: Electronic, Mailed paper, Both
• When do you want monthly statements generated each month (choose day of month)? Options: 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-28
• Would you like client statements to include a counselor narrative with recommendations and next steps? Options: Yes, No
• Declare the retention period you require for archived statements and progress reports (months or years) for compliance. Options: 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, Permanent

Deliver financial literacy workshops for clients

• Rank the workshop topics you want offered (budgeting basics, credit rebuilding, avoiding predatory debt relief) by priority. Options: Budgeting basics, Credit rebuilding, Avoiding predatory debt relief, Other
• Assign who should lead workshops (certified counselor, guest instructor, partner organization) and note required credentials if any. Options: Certified counselor, Guest instructor, Partner organization
• Offer which workshop delivery times you prefer (weekday evenings, weekend mornings, on-demand recorded sessions). Options: Weekday evenings, Weekend mornings, On-demand recorded
• Attach sample workshop materials if available or describe the takeaways you want provided (worksheets, sample budgets, action plans).
• Are follow-up coaching sessions required after workshops and, if so, how many sessions per client do you want? Options: No follow-up, 1 session, 2-3 sessions, Ongoing monthly coaching
• Forecast expected attendance per session and the minimum attendance you require to run a live workshop. Options: Less than 10, 10-25, 26-50, 50+

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Enrollment Agreement
• Creditor Contact Authorization
• ACH / Automatic Payment Authorization
• Fee Disclosure & Payment Schedule
• Privacy & Data-Sharing Consent
• Electronic Communications & eSign Consent
• Cancellation & Refund Policy
• Verification & Documentation Acknowledgment

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
• 90-day Plan Assessment
• Quarterly Ongoing Success Review

• Enroll the client in recommended financial education resources if gaps in budgeting or payment discipline are identified.
• Client to confirm any temporary budget changes that may affect next two contributions.
• Restate the acceptance and measurable targets
• Confirm which Personalized Plan Scope targets are met and which require remediation, with outcomes documented.
• Agree any plan adjustments or remediation tasks with clear timelines to close outstanding gaps.
• Publish the 90-day outcome summary showing each target from Personalized Plan Scope and its pass/conditional status.
• Create a remediation checklist for any unmet targets with specific dates for completion.
• Schedule any additional counseling or education sessions required to support client adherence.
• Review payment reliability and trends
• Confirm the plan remains on track by verifying the quarter's on-time contribution rate and the quarter-over-quarter credit score change.
• Resolve or assign next steps for any creditor disputes or recurring payment issues.
• Update the payment plan schedule if client cash flow changes require a formal adjustment.
• Open specific tickets for any unresolved creditor disputes with target resolution dates.
• Reconfirm agreed plan scope and targets
• Confirm the plan is actively processing payments and at least one contribution is scheduled or posted.
• Identify and document any onboarding blockers with clear remediation tasks and target completion dates.
• Provide any missing creditor statements or account documentation required to complete enrollment.
• Resolve any failed payment authorizations and re-submit authorization where needed.
• Circulate a short runbook confirming how the client will confirm monthly payment postings.
• Present early outcome data
• Establish whether on-time monthly contribution rate and creditor enrollment success rate are moving toward targets in Personalized Plan Scope.
• Agree a short remediation plan with concrete actions and dates to address any shortfalls before the 90-day assessment.
• Document and circulate the measured on-time contribution percentage and creditor enrollment count for the client's records.
• Initiate remediation actions to address failed payments or non-responsive creditors, and track completion dates.
• Review credit-rebuilding milestones
• Verify payment setup and first contributions
• Diagnose gaps in payment or enrollment performance
• Present 90-day outcome evidence
• Surface creditor communications and dispute status
• Document pass or conditional pass per target
• Confirm creditor enrollment receipts
• Review client budget adherence and hardship indicators
• Agree corrective actions and timeline to 90-day assessment
• Surface immediate client issues or questions
• Agree adjustments to the plan
• Agree plan adjustments and education needs
• Agree immediate remediation actions