For the most up-to-date information about resources to help you and your family through this challenging time, please register for our enews.

Update: 8/20/20 - Announcing the Third of Our NEW Online Webinars – What to do When Your Income Doesn’t Cover Expenses!

OnTrack WNC Announces our Third NEW Webinar – What to do When Your Income Doesn’t Cover Expenses!

When we find ourselves in the difficult financial situation where we don’t have enough income to cover our expenses, it’s important to come up with a plan to make sure that our basic needs, such as food, shelter, utilities, transportation and medicine are covered. This 1.5 hour webinar will explore the six steps to take when your expenses become unaffordable. We’ll also introduce you to a budgeting tool you can use to create a personalized two-month emergency cash flow plan to make sure that you have the money on hand to pay your expenses and bills when they are due.

Find a Date That Works for You!

What to do When Your Income Doesn’t Cover Expenses Webinar - Click HERE to register.

• Tuesday, August 25 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm
• Wednesday, September 9 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm
• Friday, September 18 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm
• Thursday, September 24 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm
• Tuesday, September 29 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm

Also, check out our two other classes, Using Credit When You Can't Make Ends Meet and Debt Payment During Uncertain Times.

Need Personalized Help? Our Free Financial Counseling is Available.

Work one-on-one (virtually of course) with one of our certified financial and housing counselors to create an emergency cash flow plan, pay down debt, buy a home, get a spending plan, or avoid foreclosure. At the end of your session, you will have a plan that will work in real life, not just on paper.

Call us at 255-5166 to book one of these counseling appointments. If you prefer to do your screening online instead of calling us, click here to take the first step in our online intake process.

Update: 6/23/20 - Announcing Second of Our NEW Online Webinars – Using Credit When You Can't Make Ends Meet

OnTrack WNC Announces Second NEW Webinar – Using Credit When You Can't Make Ends Meet

When suffering substantial financial hardship, you may need to consider creative solutions, such as accessing credit to pay priority bills or increase cash flow. At OnTrack WNC, we believe that with good information, you are able to make the best choices for your own money life, and we think it is critical - during an unprecedented pandemic - that we provide you with the tools and information to help you meet your basic needs. In this webinar, we will discuss the steps to take before accessing credit and then review different options for using credit and the pros and cons that come along with those choices.

Find a Date That Works for You!

Using Credit When You Can't Make Ends Meet - Click HERE to Register.

• Thursday, June 25 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm
• Wednesday, July 8 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm
• Tuesday, July 14 from 12:00-1:30 pm
• Wednesday, July 29 from 5:30-7:00 pm
• Tuesday, August 11 from 12:00-1:30 pm

Debt Payment During Uncertain Times - Click HERE to Register.

In this 1.5 hour webinar, we’ll discuss how to use different debt repayment strategies when money is tight.  We’ll look at hardship options for different types of debt (such as how to handle your car loan versus your credit card debt) and how to prioritize which debts to pay.  During this live webinar, you’ll have a chance to ask follow-up questions and get general guidance to help you make decisions about what to do next with your debt.

• Friday, June 26 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm
• Thursday, July 9 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm
• Thursday, July 23 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm
• Thursday, August 6 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm
• Wednesday, August 12 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm

Having Trouble Making Ends Meet? Our Emergency Cash Flow Counseling Can Help.

Call us at 255-5166 to book one of these counseling appointments. If you prefer to do your screening online instead of calling us, click here to take the first step in our online intake process.

Work one-on-one (virtually of course) with one of our counselors to create a two-month cash plan to make sure the most important expenses and bills are covered. At the end of the session, you will have a plan that will work in real life, not just on paper.

Update: 5/29/20 - Announcing First of Our NEW Online Webinars – Debt Payment During Uncertain Times

OnTrack WNC Announces NEW Webinar – Debt Payment During Uncertain Times

Current financial uncertainty calls for a new approach to managing our money and debts. In this 1-hour webinar, we’ll discuss how to use different debt repayment strategies when money is tight. We’ll look at hardship options for different types of debt (such as how to handle your car loan versus your credit card debt) and how to prioritize which debts to pay. During this live webinar, you’ll have a chance to ask follow-up questions and get general guidance to help you make decisions about what to do next with your debt. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Three important steps to consider before evaluating your debt options;
• The risks of working with debt settlement companies; and
• Options for managing different types of debts (including housing payments, federal student loans, car loans and credit cards, as well as what to do when you can’t pay your debt.)

You’ll wrap up this webinar by choosing three easy-to-do action steps that you can take to manage your debt.

Click Here to Register for One of Our Upcoming Dates.

• Thursday, June 4 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
• Wednesday, June 10 from 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
• Friday, June 19 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm 

Two More Webinars to Come in June and July

This is the first of three webinars that we will be offering on a regular rotation. Other webinars slated to roll out in June and July are:

• Using Credit When You Can’t Make Ends Meet
• Emergency Cash Flow Planning

We will be promoting these via our Resource Digest and listing them on the Education page of our website.

Update: 5/20/20 - NEW Emergency Cash Flow Counseling & Online Booking

Introducing Emergency Cash Flow Counseling

OnTrack WNC is excited to start offering a new service to the community - Free Emergency Cash Flow counseling. This service is available to people in Western North Carolina who:

• Have experienced a reduction in income because of COVID-19; or
• Do not have enough income to cover their expenses.

We hope you will bookmark our screening form and share it with others!

Please bookmark our screening form so that you can easily access it when talking with someone who could benefit from our service or for you to have on hand in case this would help you. 

• Here’s the link: www.ontrackwnc.org/screening-questions
• If you have questions, contact us at info@ontrackwnc.org.
• If internet access is not available, call us at 828-255-5166 and we will screen for our services over the phone.

How is this different from OnTrack WNC’s services before COVID-19?

In the past, our education and counseling focused on helping people create monthly budgets accounting for each and every expense. The pandemic has dramatically changed many people’s income and expenses. We also realize that many who are working still don’t make enough money to afford their monthly bills. We created this service to help. Emergency Cash Flow Counseling will help people:

• Create a two-month cash plan to make sure the most important expenses and bills are covered.
• Figure out how to reduce expenses or increase income to make ends meet.
• Take a look at a person’s debt, determine what to pay and how much, and evaluate other debt payment strategies available from creditors during COVID-19.
• Make choices about how to make their plan work in real life and not just on paper.

But Wait! There’s More: Our New Online Screening and Zoom Counseling

Since our staff is working remotely because of COVID-19, things are a little different in our process.  Here is how it works:

Step 1: People can click www.ontrackwnc.org/screening-questions and fill out our quick online Screening Form. 

Step 2: Once we receive their Screening Form, our team will review it to determine the next best step with our services.

Step 3: For Emergency Cash Flow counseling, we will send the client a link to a secure online Counseling Form with more detailed financial questions. The answers to these questions will help the counselor to prepare before the session to make the best use of the appointment time.

Step 4: After we receive the completed Counseling Form, our team will send a link to the client to book an online Zoom appointment with us. Clients will be able to see all the available dates and times to pick the one that works best for their schedule.

Step 5: At the appointment time, the client will use the Zoom link we provide to connect with their counselor. This ability to connect face to face and share documents and screens will enhance the appointment as the counselor and client work collaboratively on their budget in real time during the session.

NOTE: We have the option of phone appointments for people who do not have adequate access to phone, tablet, or computer technology and internet to do a Zoom appointment.

Update: 3/31/20

Thank you for contacting OnTrack WNC Financial Education & Counseling

In response to local and national guidance to minimize the spread of the corona virus and to prioritize the safety of clients, staff and volunteers, OnTrack WNC's staff began working remotely on Tuesday, March 17th. 

Here’s what you need to know:

1. All education classes have been cancelled through April 30th.
2. Counseling appointments which are already scheduled, will be conducted by phone. 

• If you have a counseling appointment scheduled, please watch your text and email for communication from us.
• Your counselor WILL CALL YOU at your appointment time.
• Please note that the phone number will show as “private” or “unavailable.”

3. All Free Tax preparation appointments in April are cancelled and clients have been notified.

• We will not be rescheduling these appointments at this time.
• The IRS and NC have extended the filing deadline. For an online resource to file your taxes for FREE, click here.

Because we are working remotely, we will not be here to answer phone calls.

• If you are working with one of our staff members and would like to leave a message, please do so by dialing their extension now or dial 5 for a dial by name directory. Staff will be checking voicemails periodically.
• Please do not leave a general message or scheduling message at this time. In the days ahead, we will update our website and this phone message with information on when we are once again able to schedule counseling and classes.

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the pandemic and appreciate your patience and understanding as we manage our way through these unprecedented times.

Thank you and stay well.

OnTrack WNC