CCCSMD Now Offers Online Counseling!

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At CCCSMD, we believe you deserve quality financial guidance that is both convenient and easily accessible. This is why we recently launched online counseling, to supplement our in-person and telephone counseling services! You can now work online with a Financial Advocate to get personalized credit, debt, and housing solutions when you have a free moment.
multi racial hands all in for teamwork

GetLifted Program

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We are excited to share that we have been selected to be a part of Capital One's GetLifted program! When we first heard about this program, we thought this was a fantastic way to bring financial education to the communities we serve.  In this article, we will explain all about the program, the volunteer positions we are looking to fill and how you can become a part of this exciting project!
couple buys house

How to Navigate Buying a Home with Student Loan Debt

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Consumers' first line of defense against frauds is awareness, which is why CCCSMD works to safeguard them. People most frequently associate scams with attacks on their identity or financial security, but as the amount of fraud rises, so do the attack strategies, and individual people aren't the only group being targeted. Scammers target businesses, especially nonprofit and volunteer organizations, and their actions can cause significant financial harm.

Fighting Fires and Financial Scams

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Consumers' first line of defense against frauds is awareness, which is why CCCSMD works to safeguard them. People most frequently associate scams with attacks on their identity or financial security, but as the amount of fraud rises, so do the attack strategies, and individual people aren't the only group being targeted. Scammers target businesses, especially nonprofit and volunteer organizations, and their actions can cause significant financial harm.

Board Member Spotlight – Gail Sanders

Gail H. Sanders is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Upon graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she moved to Maryland to accept a teaching position.  After receiving a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University…

The Racial Wealth Gap – Turning Shortage into Abundance

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History tells us that differences in wealth exist between varying ethnic or racial groups and the racial wealth gap has been looming over us for centuries.  The term "racial wealth gap" refers to the difference in assets owned by various racial or ethnic groups, which results from a range of factors that affect the overall economic well-being of these different groups.
Joyce Odongo CCCSMD Board Member

Board Member Spotlight – Joyce Odongo

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We are pleased to introduce you to one of our outstanding board members, Joyce Odongo! Joyce is the Florida Community Development Officer for Bank OZK, a large regional bank concentrated in the southern U.S., with more than 200 branches in five…

Affordable Summer Fun

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Every summer brings the challenge of trying to cram as much fun into two months as possible without depleting your bank account.  Summer of 2021 promises to be much better than 2020 as CDC guidelines are relaxed and traditional events and activities…

Board Member Spotlight – Laurie Benner

We'd like to introduce to one of our amazing Board Members, Laurie Benner! As Associate Vice President of Programs for the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), Laurie Benner is responsible for developing, implementing, managing, and evaluating…

Spring Cleaning and Financial Health

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As the weather warms up, the days get longer, we are spending more time outside with friends and family, caring for our yard and cars as well as the exterior features of our home.  Some of us also find ourselves cleaning more inside this time…

Rental Eviction Prevention During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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We are facing extraordinary challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Unemployment rates are high and a partial or complete loss of income for many Americans is leading people into financial crisis.  For those who have had a sudden loss in…

Understand the Federal Tax Deferral before it’s too Late

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If you are a federal employee or member of the military, the 6.2% social security tax withholding on your regular paycheck is currently on a mandatory deferral until January 2021 if your taxable wages are below a certain threshold; $4,000 per…

Positivity in a Pandemic

The news, social media and likely your phone calls with friends lately have been filled with doom and gloom.  COVID-19 has changed our lives. For many people, the changes have not been welcome or enjoyable and are far from over.  There will…

Budgeting in a Crisis

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We are a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects are being felt hard by Americans, especially financially.  While states are starting to lift restrictions, the economy will not automatically bounce back.  We need to prepare to…

Beware of COVID-19 Related Scams

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It seems that overnight our world has turned completely upside down.  As quickly as we all started working from home, social distancing and hoarding toilet paper, scammers and hackers created new ways to try to take advantage of us during this…