Struggling with Your Mortgage Payment?

HUD housing counseling is excellent for crisis situations - if you're facing foreclosure, already in default, or need to negotiate directly with your lender about loan modifications. They're experts at that, and it's free.

We're different because we focus on the root cause: your overall money management. If your mortgage payment is a symptom of broader spending issues - lifestyle creep, unconscious spending, or lack of visibility into where your money actually goes - that's where we help.

Think of it this way: HUD helps you negotiate with your lender. We help you fix the habits that got you into trouble in the first place.

Many people need both at different times. If you're in immediate crisis (multiple months behind, foreclosure notice), start with HUD. If you're struggling but still current, or you want to make sure this never happens again, that's where we come in.

It depends on how far behind you are and what caused it.

If you're 1-2 months behind and it's due to poor money management (overspending, lack of budgeting, lifestyle creep), then yes - we can help you find the money in your budget to catch up and stay current.

If you're 3+ months behind, facing foreclosure, or have experienced a major life event (job loss, medical crisis, divorce), you need HUD housing counseling or legal aid first. They specialize in crisis intervention and can negotiate with your lender. We'll point you to those resources.

If you've experienced a temporary setback (one-time emergency expense, short-term income loss) but your overall spending is manageable, we can help you create a recovery plan.

The 2-hour session will reveal which situation you're in. And if we discover you need HUD instead, we'll tell you honestly and connect you with the right resources - even if it means we don't work together.

Here's exactly what we'll do together:

First 30 minutes: Complete Financial Assessment
We securely connect your bank account to our zero-based budgeting app and download your last 90 days of transactions. No manual entry, no guessing - we see exactly where every dollar has gone. The truth, not what you think you spent.

Next 30 minutes: Identify the Real Problem
With 90 days of data in front of us, patterns emerge that you can't see when you're living it day-to-day. We'll pinpoint what's draining your budget - whether it's unconscious spending, lifestyle creep, or genuinely not enough income.

Next 30 minutes: Build Your Sustainable Budget
We don't just cut everything you love. We build a budget that fits your actual life and priorities while making room for your mortgage. We'll show you where you have flexibility and where you don't - no shame, just reality.

Final 30 minutes: Create Your 3-Month Roadmap
You'll leave with a clear, step-by-step plan for the next 90 days. Small, manageable changes that add up - not a dramatic overhaul that fails by week two.

We meet over Google Meet and share screens so we can work through everything together in real-time.

Your financial privacy and security aren't negotiable. Here's exactly how we protect you.

Here's exactly what happens when you connect your bank account:

When you give us permission to connect with your bank account, we communicate with Stripe through encrypted, private channels to receive the following information:

• Institution name
• Account name
• Last 4 digits of your account number
• Account type (Checking/Savings/Credit Card)
• Last 3 months of transactions

What we never see:
• Your username and password (Stripe processes this directly with you)
• Your full bank account number

How we protect your data:

Infrastructure Security:
• Firewalls and private encrypted communication
• Non-public access with alerts and monitoring
• Bad intent detection with automatic blocking
• Zero-day vulnerability protection through custom infrastructure design
• Encryption at rest

Application Security:
• IP limits and 404 limits
• User input validation and escaping
• Encrypted password storage
• Stronger password policies
• 2-Factor Authentication (coming soon)

Security Testing:
• Library scanning for known errors
• Static code analysis for security issues
• Active bug bounty program with responsible disclosure process
• OWASP ZAP automated penetration testing (planned)

Complete data control: When you delete your account, we truly delete everything. No hidden retention, no backup copies.

Personal guarantee: This is the same budgeting app I use for my own family's finances. I've aligned my security interests directly with yours.

We believe you deserve to know exactly how your data is handled, not just trust vague promises.

That's a valid fear, and here's the honest truth: it's possible.

If we go through your 90 days of spending and discover that you're already living lean - no wasteful spending, reasonable expenses, and the numbers just don't work - we'll tell you that clearly.

But here's what we'll do if that's the case:

First, we'll make sure we're not missing anything. Sometimes what looks like "not enough income" is actually hidden spending in categories you didn't realize were draining you.

If it truly is an income problem, we'll talk about your options:
• Is there room to increase income (side work, asking for a raise, career change)?
• Are there any major expenses that could be reduced (like the mortgage payment itself - should you explore refinancing or loan modification)?
• Do you need to have a bigger conversation about whether this house is affordable long-term?

We won't sugarcoat it or give you false hope. But we also won't leave you hanging - we'll help you understand your options and next steps.

And honestly? Most of the time, there IS money hiding in the budget that people didn't know was there. But either way, you can't make the right decision until you see the full picture.

Yes - this session works best on a laptop or desktop computer.

Here's why: We'll be meeting over Google Meet and sharing screens to work together on your budget in real-time. We need to see your transactions, build your budget together, and walk through the data. This is much harder to do effectively on a phone or tablet.

What you'll need:
• A laptop or desktop computer
• Stable internet connection
• To connect your bank account during the session (similar to how Venmo or PayPal connects - we'll walk you through it step-by-step)
• Google Meet (we'll send you the link after you book)

Think of this like a working session - we're rolling up our sleeves and digging into your finances together. A phone just doesn't give us the screen real estate we need to do this effectively.

You'll walk away with:
• A complete zero-based budget tailored to your life
• A clear 3-month action plan with specific steps
• 1 year of free access to our budgeting app (normally $135/year)
• Understanding of exactly where your money has been going

Ongoing support:
You can email us anytime for free - no additional cost. Stuck on a decision? Hit a rough patch? Not sure how to handle an unexpected expense? Just email us and we'll respond within 24 hours.

We don't just give you a plan and disappear. We're here to help you actually succeed.

What we expect from you:
Stick to the plan. Small, consistent changes over 90 days. Check in with us when you're unsure. Be honest about what's working and what's not.

After 3 months, most people have found their rhythm and don't need ongoing coaching. But if you want additional support, we offer continued coaching at $60/hour.

Yes, with one condition: if we discover during the session that you're actually in deeper crisis than budgeting can solve - meaning you need HUD counseling or legal aid instead - we'll refund your $135 in full and connect you with the right resources.

We're not here to take money from people who need emergency intervention. If your situation requires loan modification, foreclosure prevention, or legal help, we'll tell you honestly and send you to the experts who handle that.

However, if we complete the full 2-hour session, build your budget, create your 3-month plan, and give you the tools and insights - the refund doesn't apply. At that point, you have everything you need to succeed. Whether you actually implement it is up to you.

This isn't about guaranteeing a specific outcome - it's about making sure we're the right solution for your situation. If we're not, we'll make it right.