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Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta Has New Name: CredAbility New Brand Reflects Nonprofit Agency's National Presence, Leadership in Credit Counseling and Education

Founded 46 years ago in Atlanta as a community credit counseling agency, CredAbility is one of the nation's largest and oldest nonprofit credit counseling organizations. In recent years, it has expanded to provide services in all 50 states over the telephone and the Internet, in both English and Spanish. Last year alone, the organization delivered counseling and education to more than 754,000 people and is recognized as one of the nation's leading service providers in foreclosure prevention, reverse mortgage, bankruptcy pre-filing counseling and debtor education.

"Under the new CredAbility name, our organization will have a distinct identity that better reflects our national presence while staying true to the values and mission that have defined us since 1964," said Suzanne Boas, president of CredAbility. "At the same time, we're proud of our roots and community service in metropolitan Atlanta and cities across Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi where we have local offices and employees. Our new brand will enable us to serve these communities better than ever before."

Boas continued: "The name CredAbility will bring additional benefits to our organization. It will help avoid confusion with other CCCS agencies around the nation, and our new website, CredAbility.org, provides an online extension of the same personalized service we provide through other channels. Our employees are featured on the site to humanize the counseling experience, which helps people understand they have a trusted partner on their journey toward financial stability and empowerment."

In addition, the new national brand enables CredAbility to promote its services directly to consumers with the greatest financial need anywhere in the country. Later this year, CredAbility will launch a multi-media advertising campaign that will extend nationally to raise awareness of its services for consumers in financial distress. In the four states where CredAbility has in-person counseling offices, advertising will focus on the name change from CCCS to CredAbility.

Boas also believes the new brand will make it easier for potential donors to recognize CredAbility as a national credit counseling and education organization. CredAbility has received financial support from a variety of national and local foundations, businesses and government agencies, including the Ford Foundation, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and The Goizueta Foundation. Funding from the latter organization has allowed CredAbility to become one of the leading providers of counseling and education in the U.S. to Spanish-speaking people.

"CCCS of Greater Atlanta has changed the face of financial counseling and we believe the organization's new name truly captures their national reach and commitment," said Ben Hecht, president and chief executive officer of Living Cities, an innovative philanthropic collaborative of 22 of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions.

"The fact that it helps hundreds of thousands of people a year in all 50 states--in an industry where the average organization serves no more than 100 people in one neighborhood--is all you need to know about their importance to America's financial future. We look forward to being a partner to CredAbility for years to come."

In the five regions in the Southeast where the agency has had a long-standing presence as Consumer Credit Counseling Service, CredAbility will include CCCS as part of its brand identity for local office signs and regional advertising. This will help ensure that clients and partners make the connection between Consumer Credit Counseling Service and the new name, CredAbility.

Outside of metropolitan Atlanta, these regions include Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast of Florida; East Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; and Central Florida and the Florida Gulf Coast.

"Our organization will continue to serve as a financial emergency room for consumers in distress," said Boas. "As we continue our work under a new name, we acknowledge and celebrate the important contributions of our employees, who every day create hope and inspire lasting change in the lives of the people they serve. We also would like to thank all of our partners and donors for making it possible to help an increasing number of people who are facing a financial crisis."

In a related announcement, the organization today launched the CredAbility Consumer Distress Index, a new quarterly measure of the financial distress of American consumers. The proprietary index tracks shifts in the financial condition of consumers based on data sets including employment, housing, credit, household budget and net worth.

About CredAbility

CredAbility is one of the leading nonprofit credit counseling and education agencies in the United States, serving clients in all 50 states plus Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, in both English and Spanish. In addition to providing counseling via telephone and internet, CredAbility operates 28 offices across the southeast, including 25 offices where people can receive in-person counseling.

CredAbility is a family of Consumer Credit Counseling Service agencies that include CCCS of Greater Atlanta, CCCS of Central Florida and the Florida Gulf Coast, CCCS of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, CCCS of East Tennessee and CCCS of Jackson (Mississippi).

CredAbility is accredited by the Council on Accreditation and is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). Governed by a community-based board of directors, CredAbility is funded by creditors, clients, contributors and grants from foundations, businesses and government agencies. CredAbility provides 24/7 service by phone at 800.251.2227 and online at www.CredAbility.org.

SOURCE CredAbility