MEMBER PROFILE

Amy Walton

Amy Walton got a loan for a new car before she started looking. “I called the Anytime LoanPhone. It only took 10 minutes and I was tentatively approved right away, pending confirmation of my information. When I found the car I wanted, the dealer told me I could get a better rate through dealer financing. He made me an offer that was ¾ % less than my Alternatives loan. I called Amy Smith, my loan officer, and she matched that rate immediately. I had no idea that Alternatives has a policy of matching rates to stay competitive. I was really glad. This policy allowed me to keep all my banking at Alternatives.”

Solution-Focused Financial Counseling
Do you like to talk about money? Become a financial counseling volunteer and learn to provide people with the tools they need to make informed decisions about spending, saving, and debt management.

Become a Financial Counseling Volunteer!
Would you like to brush up on your own money management skills by helping others do the same? Then look no further - this is the volunteer opportunity for you.

Alternatives' Solution-Focused Financial Counseling Program has already helped many members realize how they can make positive changes in managing their personal finances. Counselors meet privately with members and teach them how to evaluate their financial situations so that they gain a clear picture of where they stand. They then provide the information members need to create realistic solutions. Members walk away from their session knowing what steps they're going to take toward achieving their financial goals.

Financial counselors provide guidance in these areas and more:

• Creating Spending Plans
• Opportunities for Saving
• Strategies for Paying Down Debt
• Identifying Appropriate Credit Choices
• Credit Report Review and Repair
• Bankruptcy Avoidance
• Preparation for Home Ownership

More than anything else, financial counselors need to be comfortable meeting directly with members and talking about financial issues. Alternatives provides a comprehensive training, during which we'll cover everything you need to know about financial management. So, if you have good people skills and an interest in money management, accounting, economic development, or just in giving people the tools they need to help themselves, then this is a great opportunity for you!

Qualifications & Requirements

• Attend counseling training and follow-up sessions
• Volunteer for at least 30 hours over a 4-month period
• Sign and conform to a confidentiality pledge
• Be mature, responsible, patient and punctual
• Have strong oral communication skills

To Find out More:
Please contact Lisia Caserto at (607) 216-3438 or lcaserto@alternatives.org.