Bankruptcy Credit Counseling FAQs
REGISTRATION
Yes. It is required, by law, that you must complete a pre-filing bankruptcy counseling course within the 180-day period before you file a bankruptcy case. This course is mandatory.
Yes. Our bankruptcy course is approved to satisfy the requirements for both chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcy cases.
To register for the first bankruptcy course, please visit: First Course
No. You can register for and take the course at any time. The course is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.
The first bankruptcy course should be taken prior to filing for bankruptcy. The first bankruptcy course is also known as the pre-filing bankruptcy credit counseling, bankruptcy credit counseling, pre-bankruptcy credit counseling or credit counseling certification. The law requires that you must receive credit counseling within the 180-day period before you file your bankruptcy.
You need the following information to register for the first bankruptcy course: first name, last name, and the last 4 digits of your social security number.
Yes. Both you and your spouse can register and take the bankruptcy credit counseling course together or separately.
Yes, if you have not already spoken to a counselor and have not yet received a certificate of completion, you may add your spouse to the account. Please send an email to [email protected] with your request. Please include your first name, last name, last 4 digits of your social security number, the email address that you registered with, and a confirmation that your spouse was present with you during the course.
Yes. You are not required to have an attorney in order to take this first bankruptcy course.
Yes. To register for the second bankruptcy course that should be taken after your bankruptcy case has already been filed, please visit: Second course for Post-Filing Credit Counseling
BANKRUPTCY COURSE
Yes. The bankruptcy credit counseling course provided by ApprovedCC.org is approved by the US Trustee.
Yes. This course is approved in all districts of Alabama and North Carolina by the Bankruptcy Administrator.
ApprovedCC.org is approved to provide bankruptcy credit counseling (first bankruptcy course) in all US states and territories.
The course is not timed. As long as you complete the course and chat with a credit counselor, you will be provided a certificate of completion.
The first bankruptcy course will cover money management, budgeting, budget counseling, and a review of your net worth. There will also be a discussion of the factors that led to your financial difficulty and suggestions on how to overcome your financial difficulty.
This bankruptcy course is offered in written, audio, and video formats.
No. If you log off the pre-filing bankruptcy credit counseling without completing it, our website will remember where you left off once you log back in. You can finish the course at your own pace. The course is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
No. This first bankruptcy course is a no-fail course – you cannot fail it. As long as you complete the online portion of the course and chat with a credit counselor during regular business hours of Monday - Friday 9am to Midnight EST, you will have successfully completed the first bankruptcy course and you will receive a certificate of completion.
A copy of the course material will be available for download upon completion of the course. If you are already logged out, please log in to your account using the following link: Login
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. We may release your information when we believe releasing it is appropriate to comply with the law, to enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others rights, property, or safety. We are also required to release your information if requested by the United States Trustee’s Office.
No. The information provided to us during the course is used only to provide you with the pre-filing bankruptcy counseling service. The information will not become part of your bankruptcy case.
PAYMENT
The first bankruptcy course is $19.95 per household.
We accept credit, debit, and prepaid cards that have a Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and AmericanExpress logo.
Yes. Anyone is allowed to make a payment on your behalf by using a credit or debit card.
Yes. We use [Insert Payment Processing Service Name Here] to process payments. All payments will be made over a secure encrypted connection so credit card numbers and private details cannot be stolen in transit.
We provide a 100% money-back guarantee prior to your certificate being issued. To request a refund, send an to [email protected]. Please be sure to include your first name, last name, last 4 digits of your social security number, and a reason for requesting a refund. Refunds are only granted if requested within 6 months of registration.
If the billing code does not work on our website, please contact your attorney for assistance. We are prohibited from disclosing your attorney’s billing code.
During registration, we will notify you if you qualify for a fee waiver. If you qualify, you must submit the paperwork that we request and wait a minimum of 72 hours for us to make a determination. Please do not submit multiple inquiries for a fee waiver as it will delay the review process.
CERTIFICATE
Your certificate will be available to download immediately upon completing the course and chatting with a credit counselor. We will provide the certificate for download in your account, email you a copy, and also send a copy to your attorney if you provided their email address. You may also request a physical copy of your certificate by mail. **WE NEED TO INPUT THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE A PHYSICAL COPY OF THE CERTIFICATE FOR AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE**
To download a copy of your certificate, please log in to your account using the email address that you registered with and follow the instructions. Here is a link to the login page: Login
Your certificate of completion can be emailed, faxed, or mailed to you. If you have an attorney or preparer, a duplicate copy of your certificate will be provided to your attorney or preparer if you provide their information.
Yes. If you provide us with your attorney’s email address, we will submit a copy of the certificate of completion to your attorney.
Send an email to [email protected] requesting that we send a copy of your certificate to your attorney. Please be sure to include your first name, last name, last 4 digits of your social security number and your attorney’s email address in the email that you send us. We will send a copy to your attorney by email.
You will have to file the certificate with the appropriate bankruptcy court evidencing that you completed the course. If you have an attorney, your attorney should file the certificate with the court for you along with your bankruptcy petition.
The first bankruptcy course certificate is valid for 6 months. If it has been more than 6 months since you have previously taken the first bankruptcy course, you must take the course again.
No. Course providers are not permitted to file the first bankruptcy course certificate with the bankruptcy court. If you have an attorney, your attorney should file the certificate with the court on your behalf.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Use the forgot password feature by visiting the following link: Reset
If you still cannot log in, please send an email to [email protected] requesting that we reset your password. Please be sure to include your first name, last name, and last 4 digits of your social security number in your email.
Please make sure that you have already registered for an account. If you have not registered, you may create an account at the following link: Courses
If you have registered but do not remember your password, please use the forgot password feature to request a new password at the following link: Reset
If you still cannot access your account, please send an email to [email protected] letting us know that you are having difficulty logging in. Please be sure to include your first name, last name, and last 4 digits of your social security number in the email, and we will help you log in to your account.
Please send an email to [email protected] to notify us that you took the wrong bankruptcy course. We will provide you a full refund and you may proceed with taking the first bankruptcy course using the same login information that you used.
To take the first bankruptcy course, please login at the following link: Login