As the government shutdown continues, the financial drain on the many furloughed federal employees will also continue. I wish I had a magic wand to wave for those in the most dire straits at this point in time. My one sage piece of advice is this:
Your creditors need to know. Call them. Call all of them.
This advice also applies to anyone who has met with sudden disastrous financial circumstances. Your loan servicer, credit card issuer, and utility companies need to know what has happened, and they can only know if you reach out. The worst thing they can say is “sorry, we can’t help you.” On the flip side, many have temporary provisions in place for your situation. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
2-1-1.org is a nationwide non-profit organization for national and local financial assistance. Call 2-1-1 from anywhere, 24/7, to be connected to a live person who can match you with available resources. They have also compiled on their website the details from large national companies concerning late payments.
If you or someone you know would like to talk to an Accredited Financial Counselor® concerning financial difficulties during the government shutdown, please do not hesitate to schedule a chat with me here. If you would like to meet with someone in person, visit the AFCPE website special listing during the shutdown or their regular Find-An-Advisor portal.
Great post!