A Non-Profit Consumer Credit Counseling Organization
Big Solutions, Inc.
Financial Centre West 1761 W. Hillsboro Blvd. Suite #409 Deerfield Beach, FL 33443
Payment Address:
P.O. Box 866 Deerfield Beach, FL 33443-0866
Phone: 866-249-0343
Fax: 954-481-3456
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What Is Big Solutions?
BSI, or Big Solutions, Inc. is a charitable and educational Consumer Credit Counseling and Debt Management organization, operating under the strict guidelines of the IRS non-profit code 501 (c)(3) and all State mandated requirements.
We are firmly dedicated to educating the public with important and useful information on personal money management, such as buying practices, budgeting, and the sound use of consumer credit.
BSI provides customized counseling and educational support to low-income individuals and families without charge.
All BSI Counselors are certified by the National Institute of Financial Education as well as the Institute on Financial Literacy.
Big Solutions has received ISO 9000:2001 accreditation and is a member in good standing of the Better Business Bureau of South Florida.
Services and Support
Individualized Professional Counseling
Big Solutions, Inc. partners closely with families and individuals to help resolve stressful money management issues and set realistic, attainable financial goals. Our certified, professional counselors will always work diligently to provide you with the most appropriate debt management solutions, based on your unique personal and financial circumstances, and clearly explain the advantages and disadvantages of all available options. There is never a charge for this service.
Please be assured that information obtained in counseling sessions is considered extremely confidential. It is used solely to determine and develop the best and most realistic course of remedial action.
The purpose of these sessions is to provide constructive advice, continued support and personalized assistance so that you can successfully meet your current and future objectives.
Customized Educational Tools
Education is the cornerstone of our commitment. Big Solutions, Inc. will offer you various learning tools and resources, on an on-going basis, such as books, internet links, videos and other very helpful information specifically tailored to address your personal situation, and circumstances.
We provide an extensive and diverse range of education programs to match all our client’s needs, the needs of our community, and the needs of the general public.
Easy to understand, educational resources are available to everyone, despite your ability to pay for these materials.
Our workshops, seminars and one-on-on educational presentations include topics such as:
• Clarifying and Setting Financial Goals
• Organizing Financial Records
• Opening a Bank Account • How To Read Bank Statements
• Credit Card “The Good, The Bad and The ugly”
• How To Read Credit Card Statements
• How To Reconcile a Check Book
• Monitoring Debt-to-Income Ratio
• Identity Theft
• Understanding Credit Reports
• Budgeting
• Preparing a Spending Plan
• Building Wealth
• Types of Saving
• Buy or Lease a Car
• Mortgages & Foreclosure
• Bankruptcy
• Alternatives to Bankruptcy
• Insurance
• Disaster Planning and Recovery
• Weddings on a Budget
• The Holidays are Coming
• Tax Season
• Planning for College
• Long Term Care
• Loans and Interest Rates
• The Road to Financial Independence
Budgeting Planning
A certified BSI counselor will ask you a series of questions to help better understand your economic profile and the main cause of your personal financial problems. The answers to these questions will provide a solid foundation for your customized budget and will be the basis on which we can determine which programs will best suit your situation and needs.
It is critical that you provide us with the following information about your household:
Do you own or rent your home?
What is your monthly housing payment?
Do you own an automobile?
What is your monthly automobile payment?
How much are your average monthly utility bills?
How much are your average monthly grocery bills?
How much are your monthly insurance bills (medical, home, automobile, health, etc.)?
Are you married?
Do you pay child support? If so, how much?
Do you pay for child daycare? If so, how much?
What are your other monthly expenses?
Do you have monthly medical expenses? If so, how much?
Do you have any outstanding loans? If so, how much?
Do you have credit card bills? If so, please itemize balances owed on each.
Are you current or behind with your credit card bills? If so, how late are the payments on each card?
Are you employed?
What is your monthly take-home pay?
Is your spouse employed?
What is his/her monthly take-home pay?
Do you have any additional monthly income (i.e. Social Security, Disability, Pension Plans)?
Describe in detail all special circumstances.
Your answers to these questions will enable your credit counselor to guide you through a financial assessment and help you complete an affordable monthly spending plan and budget. You will receive a written Analysis and Recommendation which summarizes your goals, immediate actions that need to be taken, and the advantages and disadvantages of all appropriate, options, such as enabling you to speak directly with your creditors about special re-payment arrangements, contacting public assistance agencies, debt management plans, bankruptcy, etc. There is no cost for these services.
Timely Seminars and Workshops
Holiday Bills - Checking For Accuracy 1/4/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Guarding Against Identity Theft 1/25/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Spending Wisely 2/8/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Setting Realistic Goals 2/29/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
How To Improve Your Spending Patterns 3/7/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
How To Best Manage and Budget Your Finances 3/21/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Planning For The Unexpected 4/4/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Guarding Against Identity Theft 4/15/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Using Cash or Credit? 5/9/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Taking Control Of Your Finances 5/30/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Mortgage Woes 6/6/2008 6:00PM |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
How To Start Saving Now 6/27/2008 Time TBA |
BSI Corporate Office
1761 West Hillsboro Boulevard - Suite 409
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Please call us at 954-698-6262 to reserve a seat.
Always check this website for future seminars and workshop topics and dates.
Big Solutions regularly distributes free educational information, debt management tools, and offers counseling, at the following locations:
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Home Depot
Hillsboro Boulevard
Deerfield Beach, Florida
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The Mae Volen Senior Center
Deerfield Beach, Florida
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Publix Supermarket
PalmAire Plaza
Deerfield Beach, Florida
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Publix Supermarket
Powerline Road and Hillsboro Boulevard
Deerfield Beach, Florida
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North Broward Hospital
Sample Road
Pompano Beach, Florida
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The Festival Flea Market
Sample Road
Pompano Beach, Florida
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Century Village Senior Community Center
Hillsboro Boulevard
Deerfield Beach, Florida
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Minor Emergency Care
Federal Highway
Deerfield Beach, Florida
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The Check Cashing Store
1 West Hillsboro Boulevard
Deerfield Beach, Florida
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Cosco
Sample Road
Pompano Beach, Florida
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Walmart
Copens Road
Pompano Beach, Florida
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Humane Society
Griffin Road
Hollywood, Florida
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BrandsMart
SE 10th Ave.
Deerfield Beach, Florida
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Target
Federal Highway
Deefield Beach, Florida
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Quiet Waters Park
Powerline Road
Deefield Beach, Florida
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Social Security Office
Powerline Road
Pompano Beach, Florida
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Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
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Broward Community College
Coconut Creek, Florida
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Habitat For Humanity
Broward County, Florida
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If your organization is interested in receiving a variety of educational tools, or if you would like a BSI representative to hold a seminar on topics such as Budgeting, Savings, Using Credit Wisely, please contact us at: 954-698-6262.
Creditor-Approved Debt Management Programs
Most creditors have agreed to offer special repayment arrangements to consumers who qualify for enrollment in our Debt Management Program. This often includes substantially lowering monthly payments and interest rates, as well as waiving late fees and penalties. A majority of lenders will bring your account “current” if you have fallen behind with your monthly payments.
If your BSI counselor recommends a Debt Management Program, upon receipt of your completed application, we will formulate and return a Payment Plan for your review. This individualized plan specifically details what type of repayment arrangements each of your creditors will accept. BSI then adds all payments together into one affordable consolidated monthly amount.
Once BSI receives your first monthly payment, all creditors will be immediately notified that you have enrolled in our Debt Management Plan and appropriately adjust your interest rates and account status, as described in your personal Payment Plan.
BSI issues disbursements to each of your lenders within one week of payment receipt. You will continue to receive your monthly statements directly from your creditors, confirming that an accurate payment has been posted to your account, and interest has been reduced as described in your Payment Plan.
Please be assured that you are under no obligation to BSI when you return this application. It is used only to formulate customized repayment arrangements. Your creditors will not be contacted until you have qualified to enroll in our program, and all information sent to BSI is kept strictly confidential.
BSI requests a one-time enrollment fee between $1.00 and $50.00 (only after you have reviewed and accepted your personal repayment plan), as well as a monthly maintenance fee between $1.00 and $35.00, based on your individual situation, the state in which you reside and creditor guidelines. These fees help us meet the operating expenses necessary to continually provide the very highest level of customer support. Please note that fees are not considered tax deductible items. In some instances fees can be waived, due to hardship, inability or unwillingness to pay.
BSI’s Debt Management Program is individually designed for eligible consumers who are currently delinquent in debt repayment. We will review the budget information you provide in your initial counseling session to make certain this is your most viable option. If you are presently current with your credit card payments, but are experiencing special personal circumstances, please provide your BSI counselor with a detailed explanation.
Your BSI counselor will need current statements for all accounts entered in the Debt Management Plan.
Enrollment in BSI’s Debt Management program is generally regarded as far preferable to bankruptcy, debt settlement, or ignoring your repayment obligations. However, please be aware that your decision to work with BSI might be reflected by the various credit bureaus as a negative notation that could possibly affect your future ability to obtain credit.
Financial Counselors are available to discuss all other repayment options with you, at no charge.
By continuing to make full monthly payments to BSI, per your repayment schedule, on a regular 30-day cycle, your outstanding debt should be paid-in-full within approximately five years.
Once enrolled in BSI’s Debt Management program, you cannot open new or additional lines of credit without prior approval which may, or may not, be given dependent upon circumstances. Creditors are not obligated to reopen credit upon completion of Plan.
BSI will calculate your Repayment Plan based on the outstanding balances you provide on your application. It is extremely important that all account information is current and accurate.
Creditors will “close” credit cards placed on Debt Management Program. All credit cards must be included in your Repayment Plan. You may exclude one card for emergency use only. If you have more than one card with a particular lender, all of them must be added to your Repayment Plan.
Big Solutions Inc. requires that you agree to regularly scheduled, frequent, and documented counseling sessions. Failure to continually and actively participate in scheduled counseling sessions, either by telephone or in person, can result in being terminated from our Debt Management Program. There is no fee involved.
During the first three months of enrollment in our DMP, counseling sessions are scheduled on a monthly basis. From month four to month twelve, counseling sessions occur at least once every sixty days. Upon successful completion of the first year, counseling sessions will be scheduled quarterly.
Creditors reserve the right to exclude cards opened within the last nine months.
Please note that some creditors contribute financial assistance to BSI to help defray our operational expenses.
Please complete the Debt Management Eligibilty Questionnaire at the followning link:
Click here to download Debt Management Eligibilty Questionnaire
(must be completed and returned to your BSI counselor by U.S. mail, fax or email)
Helpful Internet Sites and Online Support
This section is devoted to providing links and contact information in many areas of personal finance and professional referrals. Resources include health care, childcare, housing, marriage counseling, substance abuse counseling, suicide prevention, career development, credit reporting, legal services, stress management and more. Call us if you need additional help. Counselors are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and by appointment, if necessary. You may also email any questions and concerns to: DebtSolutions@MyBSI.org.
Useful Phone Numbers
Abuse Registry: 1-800-962-2873
Alcohol Abuse: 1-800-252-6465
Federal Information Center: 1-800-688-9889
Federal Tax Information: 1-800-829-1040
Florida Relay Center: 1-800-955-8770
Gamblers Hotline: 1-800-426-7711
Homesavers: 1-800-452-9572
Jumpstart Coalition: 1-800-45-EDUCATE
NCPCF: 1-800-583-2964
Suicide Hotline: 1-954-537-0211
Mental Health Crisis: 1-954-463-0911
Checking Credit Bureaus
If you are applying for a loan or credit, records of your previous dealings with someone else's money are vital.
Whether you get that credit card, or not, may depend on a network of credit reporting agencies that either share information with, or are owned by, three major credit bureaus. This report is often a critical factor in credit scoring systems that lenders use to issue credit cards as well as mortgages or other loans.
So, if you're considering making a major financial move it's a good idea to check your credit report to know where you stand. That way you can be aware of, and if necessary take care of, problems before they jump up and derail your plans.
If you find problems, or if potential creditors discover them, take steps to rebuild damaged credit and clean up that record.
If you've made mistakes in paying previous loans, bounced checks, made late payments or had other problems, you may still be able to reduce the amount of damage they will do to your credit with explanations or some basic repair.
Obtaining copies of your credit reports is easy. Thanks to a 2004 Federal law, everyone is entitled to one free credit report from each of the main credit reporting agencies -- Equifax, TransUnion and Experian each year.
You must request your free credit reports through a centralized source. To order online, visit www.annualcreditreport.com. By phone, call 877-322-8228. Or, write to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA, 30348-5281.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Three other opportunities to receive a free copy of your credit report:
1. If you applied for a loan and were turned down, you can request a copy by writing the correct credit bureau within 30 days of the rejection. With your request, you should include a copy of the declined loan application.
2. You can also get a free report if you are unemployed, planning to apply for jobs in the next 60 days, receiving public welfare assistance or believe the credit file contains mistakes resulting from fraud.
3. Some states already offer a free annual credit report from each of the three agencies. Residents of Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey and Vermont are entitled to one free series annually. Georgia residents are entitled to two free annual credit reports from each credit reporting agency.
Bankruptcy
USDOJ/U.S.Trustee Program - http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/
American Bankruptcy Institute - http://www.abiworld.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
Federal Trade Commission - http://www.ftc.gov/
Consumer Information
Better Business Bureau - http://welcome.bbb.org
Florida Attorney General - http://myfloridalegal.com
Other Helpful Links
Credit and Debt Calculators
Controlling Debt
Good Debt Vs. Bad Debt
Five Ways To Destroy Your Debt
Making A Budget
Establishing A Budget
Canceling A Credit Card May Hurt Your Credit Score
Credit Card Offers: How To Find The Catches
Revolving Credit Is Great When You Don't Abuse It
10 Bad Credit Habits That Will Lead To Disaster
Credit Cards: What's Wrong With This Bill
How Many Credit Cards Should You Have
10 Debt Consolidation Myths
Alarming Credit Card Tricks
How To Fix Credit Report Errors
Credit Cards Vs. Debt Cards
10 Things Your Credit Card Company Won't Tell you
12 Questions To Ask About Balance Transfers
A Bankruptcy Counseling Session - What To Expect
Bankruptcy Credit Counseling Gets Mixed Reviews
Personal Finance Glossary
Eight Reasons To Manage Debt In 2008
Yes, You Can Get Out of Debt
Credit Cards Offer Discounts On Medical Expenses
Caution: Stay Well Below Your Credit Limit
Mortgage, Home Equity, Auto and Savings Rates In Your Area
Don't Let Debt Get You Down
Know What Information Lenders Have On You
A Credit Card You Might Want To Toss
Majoring In Credit Card Debt - The Dirty Secret of Campus Credit Cards
Credit Card Survival Guide
Money and Marriage
Creating A Budget
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