All of CCOA's seminars are free, with the exception of the 2-hour bankruptcy education seminar.

Contact Mark Foster, Director of Education, at markf@ccoacares.com or 800-889-4916 to schedule a seminar.

CCOA has a wide variety of seminar topics, including: money management, credit basics, credit scoring, holiday spending, divorce and credit, and couples and money.

"Master Your Money," "Master Your Credit," "Identity Theft," "Credit Score Secrets," "Homebuyer Education," "Managing Your Stress & Time," “Holiday Spending: Money & Stress Tips”"Couples & Money Matters," "Financial Freedom," "Raising Money Smart Kids," "Divorce & Your Credit," plus classes for high school and college students on money and credit issues

Van Buren hot check offenders can attend our "Master Your Money" in the Fort Smith CCOA office.

Income guidelines will vary depending upon what type of assistance an applicant will qualify, size of family and the county in which you live in. The income guidelines are set by the Arkansas Development Authority (ADFA) and are subject to change. For the most current listing of the income guidelines as well as program descriptions, go to the ADFA's website at www.accessarkansas.or/adfa/program/mrbp.html.

Homebuyer education classes cover shopping and making your application for a home, shopping and applying for a home loan, homeowners insurance, credit, family budgeting and preparing for life as a new homeowner. It is a broad overview of the homebuying process.

During the session, a trained, professional credit counselor will help you clarify your financial goals, analyze your income, expenses and overall financial situation, discuss possible solutions, and make recommendations for you to consider. The counselor will not tell you what to do. S/he will offer recommendations and help you explore options. Ultimately, you will have to decide on the course of action you wish to take.