FCAA Press Room

About the FCAA

The Financial Counseling Association of American (FCAA) is a membership association comprised of the nation’s leading credit counseling agencies. Its members provide consumer credit counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling, bankruptcy counseling, debt management and various financial education services to consumers across the United States.

Fact Sheet

UPDATED FACT SHEET COMING SOON!

Contact Us

To schedule an interview with an FCAA financial counseling expert, please submit a request online, and we will respond within 24 hours. If you are on an immediate deadline, please call Lori Pollack at 866-278-1567.

In The News

Cardrates article image to FCAA press room

Cardrates.com:
Credit Counselors Use a Holistic Approach to Helping Consumers Pay Off Debt

Consumers pass the point of no return financially when creditors charge off one or more of their accounts. Reaching out for help can be life-changing, but only if you choose wisely among many possible solutions.

woman in despair working about missed debt payments

GOBankingRates:
5 Steps To Take If You Expect To Miss a Debt Payment

A job loss or financial emergency could cause you to miss a debt payment. What should you do to minimize the impact? The FCAA suggests steps to help you catch up and minimize damage to your credit.

Screen grab of FCAA's Martin Lynch talking with the press

Yahoo Finance:
How to 'Assume Control' of Your Finances

The FCAA's Martin Lynch talks with reporter about the importance of budgeting, especially for those who see credit delinquencies on the horizon. Lynch encourages people to see budgeting as "a tool to preserve your lifestyle."

USA Today:
Can I Add My Child to My Credit Card?

Credit counselors Michael F. Sullivan and Karen Carlson, who represent FCAA member agencies, advise parents on the advantages and pitfalls of teaching your child early on how to manage money and use credit cards responsibly.

Today Show screen shot

TODAY Show: Strategies to Help You Build a Better Budget

Listen to the interview with CNBC senior personal finance correspondent Sharon Epperson who explains ways to cut spending and build a manageable budget. She also talks about how the FCAA can help with its free budget builder and certified credit counselors.

array of credit cards

Associated Press:
Credit Card Delinquencies Are Rising. Here’s What To Do If You're At Risk.

Seriously overdue credit card debt is at the highest level in more than a decade, and people 35 and under are struggling more than other age groups to pay their bills. The FCAA offers advice in this interview.

pen lying on a paper showing "past due" notice

CBS: How to Get Help With Your Credit Card Debt, According to Experts

While using credit cards can help fill in the gaps in your budget, it comes at a hefty price. One of the hardest parts of facing your credit card journey is looking at the mountain of credit card debt you've accrued. But, it's also one of the first steps in managing it.

WSJ: Could You Benefit From Credit Counseling? Answer These Questions First

The FCAA talks with The Wall Street Journal about how households grappling with high-interest debt and the resumption of student-loan repayments could benefit from non-profit financial counseling and debt management.

Press Releases

fcaa piere budgeting tool

FCAA Partners With Piere to Offer Financial Management App

Partnership combines Piere’s financial management app with non-profit financial counseling from Financial Counseling Association of America members to benefit consumers BOCA RATON, Fla. (Aug. 20, 2024) – Consumers will now have smarter financial tools available to help them with money management through a new partnership between the Financial Counseling Association

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fcaa conference promotional art

FCAA 2024 Annual Conference Kicks Off This Week in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (Apr. 29, 2024) – The Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA) will hold its annual conference in New Orleans May 1-3, 2024. National credit counseling agency (CCA) professionals, lending institutions and other industry experts will come together to discuss best practices, ideas and trends relevant to credit counseling

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National Financial Literacy Month 2024 - FCAA branded logo

National Financial Literacy Month 2024

April is National Financial Literacy Month, and we’re celebrating! Financial literacy is so important to improve your marriage, your parenting and your life. As a leading non-profit consumer financial education organization, the FCAA is pleased to provide a wide range of free educational resources. Please take advantage of these enlightening

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Industry Experts

Scheduling Expert Interviews

FCAA member agencies have industry experts who can speak on a variety of personal finance topics – including credit card debt, student loan debt, housing-related debts and living on a budget. We will be happy to connect you to the best source depending on your topic.

Representing the organization directly, FCAA president, Martin Lynch, is also available for media interviews.

We understand the nature of media deadlines and will respond to your resource requests quickly and efficiently.

Martin Lynch

Martin Lynch
President, FCAA

Martin Lynch is President of the Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA), a membership and trade association comprised of 21 non-profit credit counseling agencies providing free and nominal fee-based services to consumers nationwide. For two decades, he has also served as Compliance Manager and Director of Education at Cambridge Credit Counseling in Agawam, Massachusetts. In addition to his compliance duties, Lynch also conducts free seminars and webinars for a variety of nonprofits representing teachers and public employee unions; public schools and colleges; and incarcerated individuals preparing for their release into the community, among other groups. He is an authority on personal finance and has been cited in articles appearing in The Wall Street JournalUSA Today, MSN.com, Money, NerdWallet, LendingTree and a host of other news outlets. In 2024, Lynch was invited to participate in the U.S. State Department’s Business Fellows program, serving as a host and advisor to business executives from El Salvador.

Lynch is available to speak on a variety of finance topics including:

  • U.S. economic trends
  • Consumer credit usage
  • Debt management options
  • Student loan debt, federal repayment plans and loan forgiveness
  • Financial education
  • Credit building: scores and reports
  • Credit card debt
  • Budgeting and saving strategies
  • Debt management regulation
  • Credit repair scams