Financial Tools & Resources
Financial Calculators
For your convenience, a variety of calculators are available to assist you in financial planning.
BALANCE - Free Financial Guidance And Services
At WestEdge we care about your financial wellness. That’s why we’ve partnered with industry-leading BALANCE to provide you with free access to expertly crafted financial education and resources to help with your fiscal matters. For all your financial life stage changes and more, we — in partnership with BALANCE — are here to help.
Información en Español
Por favor visite nuestras páginas en Español para conocer mas sobre los servicios ofrecidos.
BALANCE Toll-free Infoline and Chat
Our members have immediate access to an accredited financial counselor who can work with you one-on-one to help you address issues including home buying, debt management, and credit report reviews.
To speak with a counselor, call toll-free (888) 456-2227
- Monday - Thursday, 7:30 am - 6 pm
- Friday, 7:30 am - 5 pm
- Saturday, 9 am - 2 pm
Or if you prefer online communication, visit BALANCE to Chat or send a message online.
FREE Monthly Webinars!
Attend free money management webinars. Learn the basics of financial planning and create a future of security and opportunities. Check out upcoming webinars and sign up today.
Credit Report Review
Your credit report can affect your ability to purchase a home, rent an apartment, buy a car, receive favorable insurance rates, or even get a new job. It is important to understand what is on your credit report and how it affects your finances. Further, checking your credit report regularly is a crucial step in protecting yourself from fraud or inaccurate reporting.
BALANCE can review your credit report and answer questions about credit scoring, building a strong credit history, and correcting any inaccuracies that appear. After the call, their counselors can provide additional educational materials on an array of topics tailored to meet your needs.
Debt and Budget Coaching
While there are hundreds of “debt counseling” organizations across the country, BALANCE has agreed to quality standards that include accreditation, certification of counselors, audits, and core policies that ensure quality service. They offer a Debt Management Plan, and are committed to providing comprehensive money management education and counseling.
Debt Management Plan
Many of their clients work with their counselors to explore the option of a Debt Management Plan (DMP) for repayment of their unsecured debts. The DMP can offer lower interest rates, a cessation of certain fees, and lower required monthly payments. They work directly with your creditors on your behalf. Over the years, the plan has helped hundreds of thousands of people save millions of dollars and pay off debts, and move closer to their financial goals.
Budget Counseling
Their counselors can review your current spending patterns and create a spending plan that allows you to take charge of your financial situation both a month-to-month basis and in the long term. They also discuss your financial goals and develop an action plan for overcoming challenges so you can achieve those goals.
Identity Theft Resources
You could spend a good chunk of your free time each week brushing up on the ways criminals are trying to steal your information and you still wouldn’t be aware of all the devious tricks they are using. Instead of worrying yourself silly over identity theft, focus your energy on learning about how it happens, how to prevent it, and how to recover from it should you need to. The resources in this toolkit are designed to help you gain the knowledge and skills you will need to make your information safer.
Homeownership Coaching
Housing can be an overwhelming subject to tackle on your own, whether you are dreaming of owning your first home or struggling to make mortgage payments on your current home. BALANCE counselors are readily available to help you make sense of it all.
Pre-Purchase Counseling
The first year of homeownership is often the most challenging. Their Pre-Purchase Counseling Program will help you prepare for the added expenses and responsibilities of owning a home so you know what to expect and where to turn for help. From setting a realistic household budget and reviewing credit reports, to explaining the home-ownership process and lending requirements, their counselors can help guide the way.
Foreclosure Prevention
They are a HUD-certified counseling agency and can make sure you know and understand all of your options, should you ever feel your financial situation threatens your home.
Reverse Mortgage Counseling
They help to educate seniors on the benefit, consequences, options, and process of obtaining a home equity conversion mortgage and enable them to make a more educated decision about whether this type of loan is right for them.
Student Loan Coaching
Borrowing to pay for college is the easy part. Repaying the debt is much harder. To know which options are best for you, your career prospects and your budget, it helps to have access to an expert who can guide you through the complexity of the various programs, explain your options under each, and take into account the context of your financial circumstances. They speak the language of student loan financing fluently and are ready to work with you in a one-on-one student loan counseling session.
Toolkits
Through our partnership with BALANCE, our members have access to a number of great step-by-step financial educational tools on a variety of topics:
- Credit Report & Score
- Car Buying Decisions
- Collection Debt
- Financial Security After a Divorce
- Home Buying
- Checking Account Management
- Unemployment
- Surviving a Financial Crisis
- COVID-19
- Many More
BalanceTrack
Learn the basics of personal finance with educational modules and tools, including managing a budget. Register for a free user account or log in to get started.
- Teens and Money
- Checking Account Management
- The Psychology of Spending
- Rebuilding After a Financial Crisis
- Credit Matters
- The Basics of Investing
- Smart Tax Planning
- Many More
MyBalance: A Budgeting Tool
Use MyBalance to create a realistic budget plan that helps you achieve your financial goals. Once you develop your plan, they’ll provide immediate action steps and tools to make your money work for you.
Free Annual Credit Report
Request your free annual credit report. It's quick, easy and secure.