In the past, many of you have expressed a desire for one person to contact in order to service your program needs. As a result, we are now pleased to announce:

Introducing Debt
Management Program
Account Managers

Debt Management Program Account Managers.

One person updating your file when you mail or fax statements in, one person scheduling payments to your creditors and one person most familiar with your situation – Your Account Manager.

You may reach your Account Manager by phone, fax or email. Or you may leave a message directly on your account manager’s voice mail. Of course if you wish, you may still speak to any one of our certified counselors to answer you questions or concerns.

Credit Advisors understands the importance of continuing to provide you with experienced and knowledgeable staff to assist you in reaching your goal of a debt free tomorrow. We hope you will find the addition of a personalized Account Manager a highlight of your debt management experience.

Account Managers, their extensions, office hours* and the states they manage are as follows:

Akil Abdullah – extension 8170 7:30am- 4:30 pm: Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Francisca Monjarez – extension 8198 7:30am – 4:30pm: District of Columbia, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, AE, AP, and Canada.

Kevin McGee – extension 8179 10am – 7pm: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wyoming.

Stephanie Schultheiss – ext 8216 10am – 7 pm: Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Western Nebraska.

Tom Struebing – ext 8217 9am – 6 pm: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

John Taphorn – ext 8183 8am – 5pm: Eastern Nebraska

(If you do not see your state listed, please call 1-888-942-9027 to find out the name of your assigned personal account manager.) Finally, if you have not yet heard from your account manager, they will be contacting you shortly to introduce themselves.

*All office hours listed are central time.

It's that time of year again so here are some things to consider while you gather all of your documentation in preparation for filing income tax forms with the Internal Revenue Service:

Review your retirement plan with an eye to reducing taxable income. Contributing the maximum allowed to an employer-sponsored retirement plan or an IRA of your own will reduce your taxable income.

If you are receiving a sizable return, you may want to consider adjusting your payroll withholding. The reduced withholding would shift the money otherwise received through a refund once a year to an increase in monthly take-home pay. This may allow you more flexibility in your budget or allow you to place the funds in savings (remember your emergency account?) or investments as soon as it is earned, rather than allowing the government to keep it without paying you interest.

If you are receiving a return on your withholding, you may want to consider applying the refund to one or more of your outstanding debts. Please contact your Account Manager or one of our Client Care credit counselors to review the balances and benefits received on each of your accounts. This will allow you to make a fully informed decision that would most benefit your overall debt reduction plan.

If you find that your withholding did not cover your tax liability for the year (you owe taxes), action must be taken. Review the last few years' returns. If you consistently under-withhold and owe additional funds at the end of the year you should increase your withholding. Consistently under-withholding of taxes owed, even if they are paid in full with the tax filing, can cause the Internal Revenue Service to require you to pay the extra amount owed in quarterly installments throughout the year.

If the amount you owe to the IRS is the result of a one-time event that is unlikely to recur (inheritance, settlement, severance, etc) adjustment may not be necessary.

Be sure to complete
your filing by the
April 15th deadline

Credit Advisors does negotiate repayment plans with the IRS. If you cannot pay the total amount owed in full at the time of filing, by all means complete your filing by the April 15th deadline and pay as much as you can to the outstanding tax liability. Fill out a form requesting that a repayment plan be arranged on the balance due and include it with your filing.

Contact your Account Manager to sign the necessary releases and addendum so Credit Advisors may help you by adding the tax debt to your debt management plan.

As always, you should consult a tax advisor before making any changes to your deduction/withholdings/tax strategy.

These suggestions are meant only as a starting point for conversation and an opportunity to pursue more information with your tax professional.

Puzzled by the tax law or which credits and deductions to take? Need assistance with your tax return?

You may want to visit a volunteer site. The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program or the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program offer free tax help if you qualify. Trained community volunteers can help you with special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly for which you may qualify. Most sites also offer free electronic filing (e-filing).

The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income (generally, $40,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations. To locate the nearest VITA site, call 1-800-829-1040.

The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program provides free tax help to people age 60 and older. Trained volunteers provide free tax counseling and basic income tax return preparation for senior citizens.

As part of the IRS-sponsored TCE Program, AARP offers the Tax-Aide counseling program at more than 7,000 sites nationwide during the filing season. Trained and certified AARP Tax-Aide volunteer counselors help people of low-to-middle income with special attention to those age 60 and older.

For more information on TCE call 1-800-829-1040.

To locate the nearest AARP Tax-Aide site, call 1-888-227-7669 or visit AARP's Internet site.

The Word Search Challenge - the words listed below, pulled from the articles in this edition of Defeat Debt, are hidden in our puzzle. Test your skill and find all eighteen words. Good Luck!

BUDGET CONTACT CREDITOR DEBT ELDERLY FUND MAIL MANAGER NEGOTIATE OWED PAID PLAN PROGRAM REFUND RETURN SAVING TAX VOLUNTEER