What courses do you offer?
Are you approved in my state?
How much does the course cost?
I am married; does my spouse have to complete the course as well?
Do I have to take the course online?
What forms of payment do you accept?
How long is the course?
Do I have to complete the course in one sitting?
How quickly can I receive a certificate of completion?
How long is my certificate good for?
Do you offer fee waivers for individuals who can’t afford the course?
What impact will the credit counseling course have on my credit report?
Do you have any other affiliations or funding sources?
What are your hours?

What courses do you offer?

Individuals filing bankruptcy must complete a course in credit counseling before filing, and must complete a course in debtor education after filing. These courses are also referred to as the pre-filing and post-filing courses. Abacus Credit Counseling is an approved credit counseling agency, and Sage Personal Finance is an approved debtor education provider.* Together, we offer a convenient and affordable solution for your bankruptcy courses.

* Approved to issue certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. Approval does not endorse or assure the quality of an Agency’s services.

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Are you approved in my state?

Abacus is approved to provide the pre-filing credit counseling course in all states, except for certain parts of Alabama. We are approved in the following counties in Alabama: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Hale, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Tallapoosa, Washington, and Wilcox Counties. Sage is approved to provide the post-filing debtor education course in all states.*

* Approved to issue certificates in compliance with the Bankruptcy Code. Approval does not endorse or assure the quality of an Agency’s services.

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How much does the course cost?

Pre-filing online $25 Telephonic $35
Post-filing online $35 Telephonic $45

There are no other fees. Married couples filing jointly only pay one fee provided they can take the course together.

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I am married, does my spouse have to complete the course as well?

If you and your spouse are filing jointly, you will both have to complete the courses. If you are unsure, please consult your lawyer or your bankruptcy court. Married couples filing jointly only pay one fee provided they can take the course together.

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Do I have to take the course online?

No. Both the first and second courses may be taken by phone. To take the first course by phone, please call (800) 516-3834 to register. Once you complete the phone portion of the course, you will be forwarded to a credit counselor to complete the course. To take the second course by phone, please call (866) 693-1415 to register and complete the entire course. Your certificate will be sent to you as soon as you complete the second course.

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What forms of payment do you accept?

Payments are accepted online or over the phone. We accept major credit cards, debit cards, and money orders (sent by mail). Sage Personal Finance also accepts ACH (electronic checks). If you do not have one of these forms of payment, you can purchase a pre-paid VISA, American Express or MasterCard card, from places like a drug store or Wal-Mart, or you can borrow a credit or debit card from a friend or family member.

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How long is the course?

The pre-filing credit counseling course takes approximately 60-90 minutes to complete. The post-filing debtor education course takes a minimum of 2 hours to complete (by law).

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Do I have to complete the course in one sitting?

No, your progress is saved as you proceed through each course. You can close your browser at any time, and return to the site later. When you log-on again, you will be taken back to the last page that you were on.

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How quickly can I receive a certificate of completion?

For both courses, immediately upon finishing the course, you will be provided with a link to your certificate, and you can print a copy. In case you don't have a printer, or just want to have a copy for your record, we also send your certificate to you by fax and/or email when you finish the course. You will be asked for an email address or fax number where your certificate should be sent, and you can provide your attorney's email address and fax if you are working with an attorney. We will deliver it to all of those places to ensure that you get it as quickly and easily as possible. If you do not have email or a fax number, we can send your certificate by mail.

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How long is my certificate good for?

The Pre-filing Credit Counseling certificate expires 6 months from the date counseling is completed.

In most cases, the Pre-Discharge Debtor Education certificate must be presented to the court within a certain amount of time after you file your bankruptcy case. For more information on this, please contact your court or your attorney, if you are working with one.

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Do you offer fee waivers for individuals who can’t afford the course?

Yes, fee waivers are available for both courses.

For the pre-filing credit counseling course (the first course):

Abacus will waive the fee for obtaining a Certificate of Completion for any individual who requests such a waiver and has a household income less than 150 percent of the poverty guidelines last published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/11poverty.shtml) applicable to a family of their size. The income of a spouse is included in calculating income whether or not a joint petition is filed, unless the spouses are separated and a joint petition is not filed.

To request a fee waiver, you must submit a written request for the waiver along with evidence of any and all income showing that your income satisfies our requirements. Examples of income documentation include: recent paystubs, past income tax return (please send only the first page with your Social Security Number redacted), letter from Social Security or Unemployment stating your monthly benefit amount, etc. Contact us if you have questions on what documentation is needed.

Please send documentation to:

BY EMAIL

Subject: Fee Waiver

BY FAX
(888) 561-0825

BY MAIL
Abacus Credit Counseling
15760 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1240
Encino, CA 91436
ATTN: Fee Waivers

For the post-filing debtor education course (the second course):

Please write to Sage Personal Finance and include your name, case number, jurisdiction, e-mail address, postal address, and phone number. Our policy is to waive the course fee for debtors whose court filing fees were waived by the judge.

BY EMAIL

Subject: Fee waiver

BY MAIL
Sage Personal Finance
4043 Contera Rd.
Encino, CA 91436
ATTN: Fee Waivers

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What impact will the credit counseling course have on my credit report?

The credit counseling course offered by Abacus has no impact on students' credit reports.

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Do you have any other affiliations or funding sources?

No, we are not affiliated with nor do we receive funding or endorsements from any entities, including those mentioned in the courses.

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What are your hours?

Because the courses are online, you can take them at any time, day or night.

Live customer service is available during the following times:

Abacus Credit Counseling (first course)
(800) 516-3834
Monday: 5:00am—10:00pm pacific
Tuesday: 5:00am—10:00pm pacific
Wednesday: 5:00am—10:00pm pacific
Thursday: 5:00am—10:00pm pacific
Friday: 5:00am—7:00pm pacific
Saturday: 7:00am—7:00pm pacific
Sunday: 7:00am—7:00pm pacific

Sage Personal Finance (second course)
(800) 516-2759
Monday: 5:00am—5:00pm pacific
Tuesday: 6:00am—4:00pm pacific
Wednesday: 6:00am—4:00pm pacific
Thursday: 7:00am—4:00pm pacific
Friday: 7:00am—4:00pm pacific
Saturday: 9:00am—1:00pm pacific
Sunday: 7:00am—12:00pm pacific

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