Adrianna Gregory offers guidance to protect your budget and your credit as you deal with medical expenses, whether you are waiting on the bill from a routine check-up or a trip to the emergency room. — This post is part of our ongoing series, “A Uniquely American Injustice,” on navigating medical debt and health expenses. Find all of our posts in the series here. By Adrianna Gregory At TrustPlus, we know that dealing with medical bills can be daunting. As Financial Coaches we often see the…

Guadalupe Credit Union credits financial coaching methodology and software platform, Pathways, in helping them make the case to policymakers. — In March, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 132 to lower the cap on small loan interest rates from 175% to 36%. “As we continue to grow our economy and create quality jobs for New Mexicans across the state, protecting New Mexico consumers remains critically important,”…

“A Uniquely American Injustice,” our new ongoing series, explores how to navigate medical debt and health expenses. — This is the first post in our new ongoing Personal Finance Coach series, “A Uniquely American Injustice,” on navigating medical debt and health expenses. By Dametria Douglas Yesterday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced complaints about medical debt collectors pursuing paid or not owed debt jumped 31% from 2018 to…

TrustPlus Personal Finance Coach Elise Nussbaum says the “beginning of spring is an excellent time to take stock of ways you can make your own life more pleasant, manageable, and secure” by planning for your tax refund and reviewing your credit report, spending, and beneficiaries. All too often, we put…

TrustPlus Personal Finance Coach Ashley Denae Hannah, AFC®, walks through how to find free tax assistance at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites in this step-by-step video with complementary written directions. First, go to IRS.gov. Click on “File.” It’s the first option on the navigation menu across the top…

Bridget Herrmann, Vice President of Impact and Advocacy at United Way of Washtenaw County, discusses how offering personal finance coaching from TrustPlus to all who live and work in the county enhances their impact on individuals and supports other local organizations in enhancing their impacts as well. What do you do? We’ve been in…

The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation to people who generally make $72,000 or less, have disabilities, or are limited English-speaking taxpayers. — ’Tis the season for walking clients through how to find free tax preparation services in their community, says TrustPlus Personal Finance Coach Ashley Denae Hannah, AFC®. The deadline to file this year is Monday, April 18.

A new brief from Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program says debt is “underappreciated as a driver of racial wealth gaps.” — Black History Month is a time for reflection, celebration, and action at TrustPlus. Today, we shine a spotlight on policies to reduce debt, which “remains underappreciated as a driver of racial wealth gaps,” according to Disparities In Debt: Why Debt Is A Driver In The Racial Wealth Gap.

62% of full-time workers say they’re more likely to stay at a job offering debt-related benefits according to a new Financial Health Network survey. — Employers looking to boost employee performance, satisfaction, and retention will be interested in data from a new Financial Health Network survey of full-time workers at mid- and large-size businesses with 500 or more employees who have credit card, medical, and personal loan debt.