At Take Charge America, the health and well-being of our clients, employees and communities is our top priority. We understand the concern and financial uncertainty you may be experiencing surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) and are committed to being responsive to the needs of our clients and employees as the situation evolves.

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and encourage clients who may be impacted to reach out to discuss how we might be of assistance.

Please contact us:
800-823-7396
M-F 6am-6pm MST

• What is TCA doing to help debt management clients impacted by the Coronavirus outbreak?

  We’re actively working with our creditor partners, industry associations and peer nonprofit credit counseling agencies to develop ways for DMP clients to get the help they need during this difficult time. We'll provide regular updates as we get more information.

• Can you contact my creditors for me?

  For now, your creditors are handling financial hardships related to COVID-19 on an individual basis. They ask that you contact the number on the back of your card or your monthly statement to speak with a specialist about your available options. Click here for a list of banks offering relief to customers affected by COVID-19.

• What happens if I miss a DMP payment?

  TCA will not close your account if you miss a single payment. If you need to stop an upcoming payment you can call us or manage your payments online by logging into MyTCA.org.

  Each creditor has a different policy when it comes to missed payments and some offer more flexibility than others. Our goal is to help you find the best path forward and to protect the progress you’ve made toward paying off your debt. Call us to discuss your individual needs.

• Can I freeze my DMP until COVID-19 is over?

  Your health and safety should always be your number one priority. If you’re one of the millions of Americans who has already lost their job due to the pandemic, we completely understand the need to freeze all nonessential expenses, including debt payments.

  Please call us if you need to freeze your DMP until your income has been reinstated. We will notate your account and pause delinquency notifications. We can also discuss payment restructures or partial payments as a temporary solution.

  Please understand that if you freeze your DMP, you might lose some of your creditor benefits, like reduced interest rates. We are working with your creditors to see what type of relief they will offer for debt management clients, but at the moment, the guidelines are the same. We will do our part to reinstate benefits when things return to normal, but it’s possible that creditors will report delinquencies on your credit report. If an account becomes seriously delinquent – for credit cards, that’s typically 120-180 days of not making the minimum payment – your creditor may charge off your account and send it to collections.

  We can’t make any guarantees about how your creditors will respond but we want you to know we are working on your behalf to minimize the negative impact and get you back on track once you are in a position to resume payments.

• Can I apply for unemployment benefits?

  Unemployment benefits are available to people who have lost jobs or hours during the coronavirus outbreak. You’ll want to apply as soon as possible so you can start to receive a steady stream of income to cover household essentials like food, utilities and housing. Each state administers its own unemployment insurance program. Click here to find state programs and contact info.