Financial Education and Counseling © 2013 BALANCE / REV1013

About BALANCE  A free service for account holders and employees  Certified counselors provide financial counseling and education by phone  Money management  Credit reports  Housing  Savings plans  Debt management and bankruptcy prevention  Identity theft

BALANCE Services  InfoLine  Credit report review  Money management counseling  Debt management  Housing education  Bankruptcy prevention  Nationwide non-profit referral database  Educational resources

Account Holder Benefits  Confidential, comprehensive counseling  Services for account holders of all financial situations  Provides an alternative to bankruptcy  Helps account holders improve their credit-ability  Avoid alternative financial services  Reduce debt  Rebuild credit  Build assets  Account holders pay no fees for financial counseling

Benefits for You  Supports mission of education  Prepares account holders for financial services  Provides a resource for struggling account holders  Offers an alternative to bankruptcy  Assists staff in helping account holders reach their financial goals

InfoLine  Immediate access to financial counselors by phone (day, evening and weekend phone hours)  Callers get answers to a wide variety of money management and credit questions  Multilingual staff  Phone access provides convenience and privacy

Phone Hours Eastern Time Zone Central Time Zone Mountain Time Zone Pacific Time Zone Monday thru Thursday 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.7 a.m. – 10 p.m.6 a.m. – 9 p.m.5 a.m. – 8 p.m. Friday8 a.m. – 8 p.m.7 a.m. - 7 p.m.6 a.m. – 6 p.m.5 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday11 a.m. – 8 p.m.10 a.m. – 7 p.m.9 a.m. – 6 p.m.8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Credit Report Review  A review of the account holder’s credit report  Those declined for loans  Those preparing to apply for a loan  Those with inaccurate information  Those struggling with fraud and identity theft  Counselors will review reports from most sources  Free reports from bureaus with adverse action  Free reports from Annual Credit Report Request Service  Fee-based reports from bureaus  Fee-based reports through BALANCE  Comprehensive educational materials and action plans are provided with credit report review

Counseling  Some calls will result in setting a counseling appointment for more detailed discussions.  Money management  Credit  Spending and savings plans  Goal setting  Housing  Debt repayment  Counseling appointments are offered weekdays, evenings and weekends.

Debt Repayment Options  Counselors explore multiple options for debt repayment  The account holder and counselor weigh pros and cons of each option  Account holder may be referred to financial institution for a loan if appropriate  A Debt Management Plan may be appropriate

Debt Management Plans  A debt repayment plan in which payments are consolidated and made through BALANCE  Creditors may establish new payment terms including lower interest rates and payments  DMPs generally last 3 to 5 years

Housing Counseling  First time homebuyer education  Money management  Credit report review  Early delinquency intervention counseling  Avoid foreclosure  Determine options and consequences for handling mortgage delinquency  Reverse mortgage counseling

Bankruptcy Prevention  Help account holders explore alternative options  Ensure account holders understand consequences  Determine possibility of loan extensions and hardship programs

Get Familiar with BALANCE  Review the materials on our website  Visit  Test drive BALANCE  Call and ask a money management question, check your credit report or update your household budget  Services are confidential and convenient