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San Diego, CA 2006 has become a record setting year and
its only June. For consumers who utilize credit cards and
carry balances, they saw their minimum payments double,
credit limits lowered and some were even declared to be
"universally in default". Now add to the mix the millions
of veterans and servicemembers, whose personal information
contained within a particular computer, that was stolen
earlier this month, are now at great risk of credit and
identity theft. One good thing for the consumer is the
free annual credit reports. (1-877-322-8228)
Credit report reviews and assessments of one's risk
potential, based on personal practices and attitudes, of
becoming a victim of credit and identity theft are being
utilized now more than ever by victims and also by a
growing group, those consumers who don't want to become
victims.
The Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE)
reports that enrollments for their Certified Credit Report
Reviewer (CCRR) program come from a broad spectrum in the
financial services industry. Participants are from the
financial and counseling communities, including but not
limited to consumer credit counselors, credit union
employees, military counselors, financial planners,
cooperative extension agents, mortgage company
representatives and insurance agents.
Many organizations are having much of their staff trained
and Certified. For instance, most of the University of
Florida's Cooperative Extension Agents have become
certified and the Navy Federal Credit Union has enrolled
all of their Personal Finance Management Specialists at
Merrifield, VA through the program in addition to most of
their budgetary counselors.
Other consumer credit counseling organizations have had
their entire staff of counselors take the course. On the
financial services side, Pioneer Services enrolled over
300 of their representatives nationwide.
The CCRR program has been accepted for CEs by the CFP
Board of Standards and Practices, PACE, the International
Association of Registered Financial Consultants, the
Association for Financial Counseling and Planning
Education, the National Association of Certified Credit
Counselors among others.
The following is a partial listing of the companies and
organizations whose representatives have enrolled and
completed the ICFE Certified Credit Report Reviewer
program.
ABNB FCU - Virginia Beach, VA
Allied Home Mortgage, Wilkes-Barre, PA
American Airlines FCU - DFW Airport, TX
American Airlines FCU - Park Ridge, IL
American Center for Credit Education, Rapid City, SD
American Financial Services Traverse City, MI
American Mutual Financial Advisors, Pensacola, FL
American Mutual Financial Planning, Lake Bluff, IL
Armed Forces Services Association, Abilene, TX
Army Community Service, Fort Rucker, AL
Army Community Service, Fort Knox, KY
Army Community Service, Fort Polk, LA
Army Community Service, Fort Hood, TX
Army Community Service, Fort Gordon, GA
Atlanta City Employees Credit Union, Atlanta, GA
Back to Basics Financial, Stone Mountain, GA
Center for Economic Progress, Chicago, IL
CFC Services, Littleton, CO
Consumer Credit of Des Moines, Des Moines, IA
Consumer Credit and Budget Counseling, Mamora, NJ
Consumer Protection Association, Cleveland, OH
Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, NY
Courtesy Mortgage Company, San Diego, CA
Credit Advisors of America, Midwest City, OK
Debtwave Credit Counseling, San Diego, CA
Department of Defense, Fredericksburg, VA
Design Capital Management Group, Smithtown, NY
Discipline Financial Services, Brookfield, WI
Education Resource Services, Old Brookville, NY
Family Financial Education Foundation, Evanston, WY
Family Support Center, Beale AFB, CA
Family Support Center, Bolling AFB, Washington, DC
Family Support Center, Buckley AFB, CO
Family Support Center, F. E. Warren AFB, WY
Family Support Center, Fairchild AFB, WA
Family Support Center, Grand Forks, AFB, ND
Family Support Center, McConnell AFB, KS
Family Support Center, Mountainhome, AFB, ID
Family Support Center, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
Family Support Center, Sheppard AFB, TX
Financial Freedom International, Orem UT
Financial Pathfinders, Hendersonville, TN
Fiscal Progress, Raleigh, NC
Fleet and Family Support Center, Kings Bay, GA
Fleet and Family Support Center, NAS Jacksonville, FL
Fleet and Family Support Center, Pearl Harbor, HI
Fresh Start America, San Diego, CA
Health Employees FCU, Albany, NY
Hightower Lending, Houston, TX
Kansas State Research and Extension, Wichita, KS
Maple Leaf Mortgage, Monroe, CT
Marathon Financial Services, Durham, NC
Merrill Lynch, Ashland, KY
Metro Credit Union, Warren, MI
Micro Business Development, St. Johnsbury, VT
Minnesota Credit Association, Farmington, MN
Money Concepts, Au Gres, MI
Money Management International, Crystal Lake, IL
Money Management International, San Diego, CA
Monroe County Community CU, Monroe, MI
Navy Federal Credit Union, Clinton, MD
Navy Federal Credit Union, Merrifield, VA
New York Financial Consultants, Long Island City, NY
Newport News SECU, Newport News, VA
Office of Human Affairs, Newport News, VA
Ohio State University Extension, Xenia, OH
Performance Management Mortgage, Tulsa, OK
Phelps Creek Financial Coaching, Hood River, OR
Pinnacle Development Corp., Fontana, CA
PSE Credit Union, Parma, OH
Pioneer Services, Kansas City, MO
RFG Financial Services, Santa Ana, CA
Rutgers University Cooperative Extension, Newton, NJ
Securities America, Omaha, NE
Silva's Financial $olutions, Pleasant Hill, CA
Springboard, Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management,
Riverside, CA
Stratford Funding, Smithfield, MI
Southern Style Realty, Cleveland, TN
Spectrum Resources, Auburndale, FL
Summit Credit Union, Madison, WI
Superior Debt Services, Las Vegas, NV
Superior Financial & Insurance Services, Cathedral City,
CA
The Credit Clinic, Royal Palm Beach, FL
University of Florida Cooperative Extension, Naples, FL
University of Florida Cooperative Extension, Fort Myers,
FL
University of Florida Cooperative Extension, Sarasota, FL
University of Florida Cooperative Extension, Belle Glade,
FL
University of Florida Cooperative Extension, Mariana, FL
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Woodland Financial Services, Soquel, CA
World of Credit, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Regular reviews of a family's credit report is the latest
weapon in combating America's fastest growing crimes:
credit and identity theft. Experts recommend reviewing
credit file reports at least one or two times per year.
For a free annual credit report call toll free
877-322-8228.
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About the ICFE:
About the
ICFE:
The Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE), founded in 1982 by the
late Loren Dunton (creator of the “certified financial planner” (CFP)
designation) and it is dedicated to helping consumers of all ages to improve
their spending, increase savings and use credit more wisely. The ICFE trains and
certifies Personal Finance Instructors for its own curriculum. It also trains
and certifies Credit Report Reviewers and Identity Theft Prevention Specialists.
The ICFE is an award winning, nonprofit, consumer education organization that
has helped millions of people through its education programs and resources. It
publishes the Do-It-Yourself Credit File correction Guide, now in its 16th
printing and has distributed over one million “Credit/Debit Card Warning Labels”
and “Credit/Debit Card Sleeves” world wide.
The ICFE became an official partner with the Department of Defense/Financial
Readiness Campaign in June of 2004.
The ICFE is also a partner in the national Jump$tart Coalition for Financial
Literacy and the California Jump$tart chapter. The ICFE staff is also active
with San Diego Saves, an offshoot of America Saves, and the California Student
Debt Resource Awareness Project (CASDRAP) (studentdebthelp.org).
The ICFE’s on-line help for consumers who spend too much was featured in PARADE
Magazine in the Intelligence Report section. The money helps and tips are from
“The Money Instruction Book,” a course in personal finance, positioned to become
among the premier programs in the new bankruptcy and debtor education
initiatives.
The ICFE Web site at:
http://www.icfe.info helps consumers with mending spending, learning about
the proper use of credit, budget and expense guidelines, how to set up and
implement a spending-plan and also how to access financial education courses and
videos and how to teach children about money. Other ICFE services include a free
eNewsletter, and an online resource center of financial education learning
tools, including videos, books, software and personal finance courses.
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