Basic HTML Version
The Present
30
thePeorian.com
D
oes anybody track where
every dime of their
money goes? Probably
not, but getting a handle on
where you spend your money
is crucial to getting and keeping
your financial house in order.
That’s according to consumer
credit experts who are preparing
for the usual rush of clients that
hits the third or fourth week of
January -- when the Christmas
shopping bills start arriving in
the mail.
“Money troubles don’t fix
themselves. It takes a plan,
whether you’re deeply in debt or
just having trouble saving money
for something you need or want.
Our mission is to help anyone
who needs it and hopefully bring
them some peace of mind,” said
Sandy Shore, spokesperson for
New Jersey-based Novadebt,
which has an office in Peoria.
“We will also help people who
are doing OK financially but have
questions how they can improve
their situation,” she said.
Novadebt acquired the former
Consumer Credit Counseling
office at 719 Main St., (309) 676-
2941. Its services include debt
counseling, bankruptcy counsel-
ing, housing counseling, financial
education and debt management.
The company’s mission state-
ment says it will “assist families
and individuals in need by pro-
viding free financial education,
community outreach and housing
and credit counseling services; all
with compassion and the utmost
commitment to quality and
integrity.”
Shore said the company
talks of compassion and integ-
rity because it will not judge
people who come to it because
of problems with their personal
finances. “It is a private matter
and we keep it private. Nobody
is going to know if you come
to us for credit counseling, so
you shouldn’t worry about any
stigma being attached to it,” she
said.
She said Novadebt hopes to
help people resolve issues before
they get so out of hand they file
for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is
public, she noted. “There is noth-
ing to be lost from getting advice
before it gets that far,” she said.
The first Novadebt does for a
client is help them figure where
their money is going. “For a
while, at least, you do need to
pretty much track every dime you
spend. If you don’t know where
exactly it’s going, how are you
going to do anything about it?”
Next, Shore said, the credit
counselor will help the client set
goals and determine how much
Get It Together!
Having your financial house in order gives
peace of mind, good prospects for future
By Paul Gordon