Credit counseling agency New York.
This page is a guide to nonprofit credit counseling in New York State. New York protects people in debt more strictly than almost any other state: a company cannot take your money and pay your creditors unless it holds a budget planner license, and the state only gives that license to nonprofits. A certified counselor at one of the licensed agencies may review every debt you owe, build a budget with you at no charge, and set up a repayment plan that brings your interest rates down.
The organizations in this guide were each verified against their own websites and against state and federal records. Several of the old regional agencies in New York have closed or merged over the years, so this list looks different from what readers may remember. The guide explains the state license rule, lists the warning signs of a debt relief scam, and covers the city-run free counseling program for New York City residents.
Warning signs of a debt relief scam in New York
The license rule gives New Yorkers the fastest scam check in the country. Ask any company one question: what is your New York budget planner license? A licensed nonprofit will answer directly. The state's list of current licensees is searchable at https://www.dfs.ny.gov/who_we_supervise, and a company that dodges the question does not deserve a second call.
Other signs point the same direction. Be suspicious of any operation that demands payment before a counselor has reviewed your budget, guarantees your debt will shrink by a specific amount, or tells you to send money to them instead of your creditors without naming a license. Real counseling starts with a free or low-cost session and a written fee schedule. The guide to spotting financial assistance scams on needhelppayingbills.com goes deeper into the tactics in use.
Nonprofit credit counseling agencies across New York State
Each organization in this list stands out as a licensed New York nonprofit, and each was verified through its own website. The official phone number and official website lead every entry. All four counsel by phone as well as in person, so location matters less than it appears.
Parachute Credit Counseling — 40 Gardenville Parkway, Suite 300, West Seneca, NY 14224. Call 716-712-2060 or 800-926-9685. Website: https://parachutecreditcounseling.org/. Parachute has served western New York since 1965 and operated as Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Buffalo until a name change. The agency belongs to the NFCC, holds HUD approval, and runs debt management plans alongside budget and credit report counseling. Free student loan counseling is open to residents anywhere in New York State. Small business owners can get coaching here too.
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester — 1050 University Avenue, Suite A, Rochester, NY 14607. Call 585-546-3440 or 888-724-2227. Website: https://www.cccsofrochester.org./ CCCS of Rochester, which also uses the name RethinkingDebt, has counseled the Finger Lakes region since 1970 and states its budget planner license from the New York DFS on its own materials. Certified counselors handle debt management plans, bankruptcy counseling, and housing questions from first home purchases to reverse mortgages. Evening appointments run Monday through Thursday. The BBB has accredited the agency since 1993.
Debt Counseling Corp — 990 S. 2nd Street, Suite 4, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779. Call 888-354-6332 or 631-582-4300. Website: https://www.debtcounselingcorp.org/. This Long Island nonprofit is licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services and serves the whole state. Counseling sessions cost nothing, and the debt management plan carries a small monthly charge that the agency may waive during a hardship. Foreclosure intervention counseling is a second specialty. Certified counselors may also point clients toward social service programs when bills go beyond credit cards.
SafeGuard Credit Counseling — 67 Fort Salonga Road, Northport, NY 11768. Call 800-673-6993. Website: https://www.safeguardcredit.org/. SafeGuard was formed in 1996 and pairs HUD approved housing counseling with budget help, debt management plans, and student loan guidance. Veterans and active military families can use a homebuyer preparation program built for them. Both bankruptcy courses are offered, and most services carry no charge. The agency publishes the state regulator's phone number on its own site, which is the kind of transparency this page looks for.
Free financial counseling from the City of New York
New York City runs its own network for people who need help with money and debt. Call 311 and say "financial counseling," or book online. Website: https://nyc.gov/talkmoney The Financial Empowerment Centers give free one-on-one sessions with professional financial counselors.
Anyone 18 or older who lives or works in the city qualifies, at any income and regardless of immigration status, and counseling is available in many languages by phone or in person. Counselors may help you build a budget, work on your credit, deal with lenders, and plan a way out of debt. The centers do not run debt management plans, so a licensed agency from this page is the next call when a plan is the right tool.
National nonprofits that counsel New York residents
Two national agencies with ties to this region round out the list. The complete set of verified national agencies lives on the needhelppayingbills.com national credit counseling directory, which stays current for every state.
Cambridge Credit Counseling — Call 800-235-1407. Website: https://www.cambridge-credit.org/. Cambridge works from Agawam, Massachusetts, close enough that New York institutions know it well: NYSUT, the statewide teachers union, offers Cambridge counseling to its members as a benefit. The first debt analysis is free, and a debt management plan follows only when the numbers justify it. HUD approves the agency for housing counseling, and both bankruptcy certificates are available. Fees may be waived when a budget review shows hardship.
Navicore Solutions — Call 800-992-4557. Website: https://navicoresolutions.org/ Navicore, based in Freehold, New Jersey, states on its own disclosures page that it is a licensed budget planner with the New York Department of Financial Services. The nonprofit belongs to both the NFCC and the FCAA, has held a BBB A+ rating since 1991, and acts as a HUD national housing counseling intermediary. Counselors work seven days a week with people on its debt management plan. Student loan and foreclosure prevention counseling are also on the menu.
Official lists for confirming any agency
Start with New York's own list. The DFS license lookup at https://www.dfs.ny.gov/who_we_supervise shows every budget planner allowed to run a debt plan in the state.
The United States Trustee Program posts its approved credit counseling agencies by state at https://www.justice.gov/ust/list-credit-counseling-agencies-approved-pursuant-11-usc-111.
Accredited member agencies answer the NFCC line at 800-388-2227, with the finder at https://www.nfcc.org/agency-finder. The FCAA's member list sits at https://fcaa.org/find-a-credit-counselor/.
Complaint records are searchable through the Better Business Bureau at https://www.bbb.org/us/category/credit-and-debt-counseling.
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