One of the more inspiring and unexpected outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic has been the ways in which the country has come together to help one another. Whether it is companies that have stopped producing their own products so they could make personal protective equipment for first responders or companies that have gone above and beyond the call in making sure their employees — many of whom are full-time caregivers and teachers in addition to being employees who are working from home — have everything they need to get through this crisis, it has been so moving to see people coming together, even though they can’t be together.
Many companies and organizations across the country are stepping up their efforts to also help the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs or are working a lot less because of the pandemic. There are so many people who are facing a very grim and uncertain financial future across the country. For anyone who is worried about how they are going to pay their bills or make ends meet, a number of resources are available to provide insight and access to tools that can help them get through this situation as financially stable as possible. Here are some of those resources:
- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a whole host of resources that aim to educate individuals and families about what they can do to manage their finances during this pandemic (https://www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/). Those include options for people who need information about mortgage and housing assistance, how to protect your finances, and what forms of economic relief might be available to you.
- The National Federation of Credit Counseling is offering access to credit counselors “around the clock” to help those experiencing financial hardship (https://www.nfcc.org/resources/coronavirus-financial-toolkit/). It also has tips on how to make your stimulus money last as long as possible, how to apply for unemployment assistance, and how to create an emergency budget.
- City and state resources. Many city and states are offering information to help their residents who have been impacted by COVID-19. Some examples:
- Washington state (https://dfi.wa.gov/coronavirus/financial-resources)
- New York City (https://www1.nyc.gov/site/sbs/businesses/covid19-business-financial-assistance.page)
- Chicago (https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/resources.html)
- Arizona (https://www.azcommerce.com/covid-19/financial-resources/)
- California (https://covid19.ca.gov/get-financial-help/)
- San Anselmo, Calif. (https://www.townofsananselmo.org/1387/Financial-Resources)
- Santa Clara County, Calif. (https://www.sccgov.org/sites/opa/opa/covid19/Pages/Resources-for-Businesses-and-Workers.aspx)
Be sure to check and see if your city, county, or state government has similar resources available.
- Your bank or financial institution. Most banks have created web pages with information about the programs they are offering as well as other resources that might be available in the area. Some examples:
- USAA (https://www.usaa.com/inet/wc/covid-19-financial-difficulty?akredirect=true)
- Banner Bank (https://www.bannerbank.com/financial-resources/emergency-resources)
- California Bank & Trust (https://www.calbanktrust.com/campaigns/coronavirus/)
- Travis Credit Union (https://www.traviscu.org/personal/borrow/coronavirus-financial-relief-resources/)
- Union Bank (https://www.unionbank.com/learn/personal/help-center/covid-19-update)
- We here at Pacific Credit Services are always here to help answer your questions and provide whatever support we can. Call us at (707) 429-3211 today and we will be there for you.
If there is one lesson to be learned from this crisis, it is that nobody is alone. Times may be tough — tougher than you have ever faced before — but that tends to be when humanity shines its brightest. And that is definitely the case today.