Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester

What Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester does

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester, Inc. (CCCS of Rochester, d/b/a RethinkingDebt.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency founded in 1976 and headquartered in a single office at 1050 University Avenue, Rochester, NY. It provides credit and budget counseling, HUD-certified housing counseling (foreclosure prevention, reverse mortgage, rental, first-time homebuyer), U.S. Trustee-approved pre-filing and pre-discharge bankruptcy counseling, and student loan counseling, with the Debt Management Program (DMP) as its flagship product. The DMP consolidates a client's unsecured debts (primarily credit cards) into a single monthly payment to the agency, which then disburses to creditors at negotiated reduced interest rates (5.9%-10% vs. typical 20-25% APR), designed to pay off in 3-5 years, at a $40 monthly administration fee plus a $25 one-time setup. The agency also offers a $50 U.S. Trustee-approved bankruptcy course (with fee waivers for households under 150% of the federal poverty line), a $25/$40 credit report review service, and a $75 HUD-compliant First Time Homebuyer Workshop (eHome America integration), as well as the free Go for Gold youth financial literacy program in Monroe County.

The underlying technology stack is partner-supplied rather than proprietary: Counseling in Motion and Money in Motion (U.S. Trustee-approved platforms) power the bankruptcy counseling courses; eHome America delivers online homebuyer education; Client Support Software provides the secure DMP client extranet (extranetroc.clientsupportsoftware.com); and 10to8 handles online appointment scheduling. Self-service tools include the My Virtual Counselor savings estimator and a suite of 14 interactive HTML financial calculators. The agency is registered to do business in approximately 32 U.S. states plus Washington D.C., and holds NFCC membership, COA accreditation, HUD housing counseling approval, NYS Department of Financial Services licensure (under RethinkingDebt.org), BBB accreditation, and U.S. Trustee approval.

The business model blends six fee streams (DMP recurring fees, bankruptcy course fees, credit report review fees, homebuyer workshop fees, Fair Share voluntary contributions from DMP creditors calculated as a percentage of payments received, and foundation/government grants from HUD, Monroe County, and the ESL Charitable Foundation). Initial credit, budget, and housing counseling sessions are provided free of charge, and fee waivers are available for low-income clients on bankruptcy courses. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the Rochester HQ, a toll-free number, online appointment booking, the website, the client extranet, earned local TV media coverage, and referral directories (NFCC, FCAA).

Name

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester

Legal name

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester, Inc.

Website

https://cccsofrochester.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CCCS of Rochester is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency founded in 1976 that provides Debt Management Programs, free credit/budget and HUD housing counseling, U.S. Trustee-approved bankruptcy courses, and student loan counseling to individuals and families across 30+ U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Debt Management Program Service Fees: $40.00 monthly administration fee per DMP client, included in the client's monthly payment, plus a one-time $25 setup fee due with the first payment. Described as among the lowest fees in the industry. 100% of client payments are credited to their creditor accounts.
2. Fair Share Contributions from DMP Creditors: Voluntary contributions from creditors calculated as a percentage of the payments received through the DMP; creditors contribute because they have an interest in getting accounts paid off and offer special terms exclusively to CCCS clients. The agency works with all creditors regardless of contribution.
3. Credit Report Review Fees: One-time fees of $25 per individual or $40 per couple to cover the cost of obtaining and reviewing a credit report with the client.
4. Pre-Filing and Pre-Discharge Bankruptcy Counseling Fees: $50.00 fee for each U.S. Trustee-approved bankruptcy counseling course (pre-filing via Counseling in Motion; pre-discharge via Money in Motion); fee waivers available for households below 150% of federal poverty guidelines.
5. First Time Homebuyer Workshop Fees: $75 fee (after coupon code CCCSEHome26) for the eHome America online HUD-compliant homebuyer education course; certificate issued upon completion to satisfy First Home Club and other grant requirements.
6. Government and Foundation Grants: Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for foreclosure prevention and reverse mortgage counseling, plus Monroe County and ESL Charitable Foundation funding for the Go for Gold youth financial literacy program. Counseling services themselves are free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

CCCS of Rochester is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency that delivers one-on-one certified credit counseling, Debt Management Programs (DMPs), U.S. Trustee-approved pre-filing and pre-discharge bankruptcy counseling, HUD-certified housing counseling, student loan counseling, and youth financial education to individuals and families. Its core service is the Debt Management Program, in which certified counselors consolidate a client's unsecured debts into a single monthly payment, negotiate creditor interest-rate reductions, and structure payoff over three to five years. Free budget, credit, and housing counseling is also provided, supported by HUD, Monroe County, and ESL Charitable Foundation grants.

Product overview

Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Rochester is a single integrated nonprofit service offering rather than a multi-product SaaS platform: one unified portfolio of credit counseling and financial education services delivered to consumers across multiple states (including Alabama, Alaska, New York, Florida, Georgia, and others — see the State Registrations page). The core of the portfolio is the Debt Management Program (a counselor-negotiated, single-payment debt repayment plan), supported by the Credit and Budget Counseling, Housing Counseling (HUD-certified), Bankruptcy Counseling (pre-filing and pre-discharge), and Student Loan Counseling modules. Surrounding these core counseling services are consumer-facing self-service tools such as the My Virtual Counselor savings estimator and a suite of Financial Calculators, plus educational offerings including the First Time Homebuyer Workshop and the youth-targeted Go for Gold peer-to-peer financial literacy program. All services are delivered through the cccsofrochester.org website, with extranet account access for Debt Management Program clients and online appointment scheduling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Go for Gold: Free peer-to-peer financial literacy program for youth aged 11-18, supported by Monroe County and the ESL Charitable Foundation. Trained peer educators deliver 10-15 minute presentations and earn $50 stipends per presentation (up to five).
• My Virtual Counselor
• Driven2Success Program

Products and services

• Debt Management Program Coordinated program in which a certified credit counselor consolidates a client's unsecured debts (primarily credit cards) into a single affordable monthly payment to CCCS of Rochester, which then pays creditors at negotiated reduced interest rates, typically designed to pay off debt in three to five years.
• Credit and Budget Counseling Free one-on-one counseling session with a certified credit counselor who reviews the client's budget, recommends revisions, and creates a written action plan to help the client take control of their finances.
• Housing Counseling Counseling delivered by HUD-certified housing counselors covering foreclosure prevention, reverse mortgage counseling, rental counseling, and first-time homebuyer education, often funded in part by HUD grants.
• Bankruptcy Counseling Required pre-filing and pre-discharge bankruptcy counseling courses delivered online through partner platforms (Counseling in Motion and Money in Motion), followed by a counselor review and issuance of a bankruptcy certificate.
• Student Loan Counseling Counseling providing comprehensive analysis of a borrower's federal and private student loan situation, including all repayment and forgiveness options, with no upfront fees.
• My Virtual Counselor Self-service online estimator that lets prospective clients calculate, before meeting with a counselor, the money they would save on a Debt Management Plan while eliminating their credit card debt.
• Financial Education Workshops, classes, an event calendar, and downloadable resources on budgeting, credit, banking, saving, housing, planning for college, and bankruptcy topics.
• Go for Gold Youth Financial Education Peer-to-peer financial literacy program for youth ages 11-18 covering budgeting, saving, credit cards, credit scores, needs vs. wants, loans, and spending control; students are trained to deliver 10-15 minute peer-led presentations in exchange for a $50 stipend per presentation.
• Financial Calculators Suite of free online calculators covering debt payoff (debt calculator, debt ratio calculator, debt payoff goal calculator, accelerated debt payoff calculator), credit card interest (minimum payment, principal/interest, fixed vs. minimum), budgeting (budget percentage, brown bag savings), and auto loans (auto payment comparison, automobile affordability, automobile loan payment).
• First Time Homebuyer Workshop Online (English/Spanish, 6-8 hours via eHome America) homebuyer education covering credit, budgeting, down payment, affordable mortgage options, realty services, the closing process, and avoiding pitfalls; the certificate satisfies First Home Club and other local, state, and federal grant program requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• DMP designed to pay off unsecured debt in 3-5 years with interest-rate reductions to as low as 5.9-10%
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCCS of Rochester is a member agency of the NFCC, the nation's largest nonprofit credit counseling network. All CCCS counselors must meet NFCC certification requirements and maintain Certified Credit Counselor status by upholding the NFCC Code of Ethics and completing continuing professional development. The NFCC agency finder directs consumers to CCCS of Rochester. CCCS operates u/a/n RethinkingDebt.org (an NFCC-aligned consumer brand).
• eHome AmericacoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration for delivering the First Time Homebuyer Workshop online (6-8 hour course) at ehomeamerica.org/cccsofrochester in English and Spanish. Provides immediate certificate issuance upon completion, satisfying First Home Club and other state/federal grant program requirements.
• Financial Education Programs (Counseling in Motion / Money in Motion)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration powering the U.S. Trustee-approved online bankruptcy counseling courses - Counseling in Motion (pre-filing) at counselinginmotion.com and Money in Motion (pre-discharge) at moneyinmotion.us, hosted under financialeducationprograms.com (agency code 0428-88).
• New York State Department of Financial ServicesflagshipOthersCCCS of Rochester, doing business as RethinkingDebt.org, is licensed and regulated by the NYS Department of Financial Services (DFS). DFS oversight enables the agency to provide debt management programs to New York residents.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Upstate New YorkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBBB-accredited business with public profile (ID 31831); BBB business review displayed on the cccsofrochester.org homepage as a trust signal.
• Council on Accreditation (COA)minorOthersAccredited by the Council on Accreditation; COA logo displayed on the cccsofrochester.org homepage as a third-party quality accreditation.
• Corporate Communications, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite design and development vendor for cccsofrochester.org (credited as 'Website by Corporate Communications, Inc.').
• Client Support SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the secure client extranet portal (extranetroc.clientsupportsoftware.com) used by enrolled DMP clients to access accounts and submit payments.
• Debt Management Program Creditors (Fair Share contributors)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCreditors voluntarily contribute Fair Share payments calculated as a percentage of payments received through the DMP, in exchange for clients receiving reduced interest rates and concessionary terms exclusively available to CCCS clients. CCCS works with all creditors regardless of contribution.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• InCharge Debt Solutions: Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency offering DMP, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and student loan counseling nationwide. Direct nonprofit peer with comparable product portfolio and federal regulatory stack.
• Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions: National 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency providing DMP, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and student loan services. Directly comparable in product scope, multi-state DMP delivery, and HUD/US Trustee accreditations.
• Take Charge America: Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency providing DMP, credit counseling, housing counseling, and student loan services. Directly comparable nonprofit model, similar fee structure, similar regulator stack (NFCC member, HUD-approved), and similar reliance on creditor fair-share contributions.
• Money Management International (MMI): One of the largest U.S. nonprofit credit counseling agencies, formed from a merger of CCCS of Houston and CCCS of San Francisco. Operates DMP, housing, bankruptcy, and student loan counseling nationwide. Highly comparable in product set, NFCC membership, HUD approval, and U.S. Trustee approval, but at substantially greater scale.
• Clarifi (formerly Apprisen): Pennsylvania-rooted 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling and financial education agency (rebranded from Apprisen in 2021). Comparable services (DMP, housing, bankruptcy pre-filing counseling, financial education) and similar HUD-approved, NFCC-affiliated positioning.
• American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC): Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency offering DMP, credit counseling, housing counseling, and financial education. Comparable nonprofit model, similar DMP fee model, and overlapping federal regulator stack. A relevant direct peer for a Rochester-based DMP competitor.
• GreenPath Financial Wellness: Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency offering Debt Management Programs, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and student loan counseling. Closest direct peer to CCCS of Rochester — same NFCC-aligned nonprofit model, same HUD-approved housing counseling, same multi-state DMP delivery, same target customer (distressed U.S. consumer).

Others

• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): The national standards body and trade association of which CCCS of Rochester is a member agency. Operates the consumer-facing agency-finder and 'Sharpen Your Financial Focus' program that drives referral traffic to member agencies like CCCS of Rochester. Comparable as the parent network/effectively a channel partner rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Dave Inc. Public fintech offering cash advances, budgeting tools, and 'side hustle' income products to the same lower-income, financially stressed consumer base that CCCS of Rochester serves. A digital-first, app-based competitor that the agency's recent earned media coverage (News 10 NBC, 2026) implicitly identifies as the channel through which Gen Z and Millennials are now being reached.
• National Debt Relief: Large for-profit debt-settlement company that targets the same financially distressed consumer segment as CCCS of Rochester's DMP and bankruptcy services. Not a direct nonprofit peer, but the dominant for-profit alternative CCCS competes against at the top of the funnel, with materially different (15-20%) fee economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cccsofrochester
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/consumer-credit-counseling-services-of-rochester-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/cccsofrochester
• Xx.com/CCCSofRochester

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Rochester