Code of Ethics

1. Providers must be advocates for financially distressed consumers and/or businesses.

2. Programs offered must focus on helping those with financial issues.

3. Providers and their Programs must place an emphasis on education and creating an environment that is helpful to ensuring that consumers and/or businesses get out of debt and stay out of debt.

4. Providers must have and provide full explanations of every program they offer. 

5. Provider agreements with consumers and businesses must be written in plain English without legalese and be understandable by the average person.

6. Provider expectations must be realistic.

7. Projected outcomes and timelines must be realistic.

8. Provider owners, management and their staffs must have a proven track record.

9. Providers must operate honestly, and all claims must be supported by proven facts.

10. Advertisements in any media, including by way of example, billboards, newspaper and magazine ads, website content, mailers, internet ads and e-mails, radio and television spots, must be truthful and not misleading.

11. Providers must strive to operate in full compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

12. Providers must provide complete transparency on amounts charged and work provided.

13. Fee structures must be reasonable and not take advantage of any consumer or business.

14. Providers must maintain a trained professional staff, including skilled counselors and/or negotiators.

15. Providers must offer and maintain superior client support and be responsive to client concerns.

16. Providers must offer a fair and objective dispute resolution process.  The final stage of such dispute resolution process must include either litigation through the legal system in a court of competent jurisdiction or final and binding arbitration through an independent organization such as the Better Business Bureau, the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service or the American Arbitration Association.  Each dispute resolution process must include at least one (1) or two (2) step process where disputes can be settled informally such as through an internal procedure. 

17. If a Provider does not comply with this Code of Ethics, their affiliation will be revoked.