Atlanta, GA, December 16, 2009— In an effort to help people improve their financial fitness in 2010, Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Greater Atlanta is seeking 25 people in metro Atlanta to participate in the CCCS Credit Score Challenge. The contest will provide a select group of metro Atlantans with a unique opportunity to improve their financial health by teaching them how to manage their credit and improve their credit score.

The CCCS Credit Score Challenge will run from February 1, 2010 through May 31, 2010. CCCS will pay the cost of obtaining each participant’s credit score at the beginning and the end of the contest. The winner will receive an $850 gift card. This amount is meaningful, as 850 is considered a “perfect” credit score.

“Providing financial education is fundamental to our mission to help consumers achieve financial freedom, and this contest will raise awareness of how easy it is for people to understand and manage their credit,” said Mechel Glass, director of education for CCCS of Greater Atlanta. “Our education classes reach more than 75,000 people annually and the CCCS Credit Score Challenge is one more way for us to teach people how they can reach their financial goals.”

People selected to participate in the contest will attend a free financial education seminar on January 30, 2010, taught by the nonprofit agency’s financial education experts. After the class, contest participants will also have the option of receiving a free “Money Makeover” from a certified budget/credit counselor, who will analyze their monthly income and expenses and make recommendations on how to reduce their spending and increase their income.

CCCS of Greater Atlanta does not disclose any confidential financial information about anyone without their permission. As part of the contest, however, participants must agree in advance to share their credit scores and participate in media interviews and other public disclosures about their experience about how they worked to improve their credit scores.

Any person who lives in metro Atlanta who wishes to be considered for participation in the CCCS Credit Score Challenge should send an email to creditscore@cccsinc.org by January 5, 2010. Entrants should include their contact information and describe, in 300 words or less, why they would like to participate in the CCCS Credit Score Challenge.

People who are selected for the CCCS Credit Score Challenge contest will be notified by January 15, 2010 and should plan to attend the class on January 30. Only those entrants who are chosen and who attend the January 30 class will be eligible to participate in the CCCS Credit Score Challenge.

The CCCS Credit Score Challenge will be conducted in accordance with the CCCS Credit Score Challenge Official Rules, which can be obtained from CCCS of Greater Atlanta at http://www.cccsinc.org/mediaRoom/pressReleaseDetail.jsp?id=3227. Participants will be chosen as set forth in the Official Rules.

CCCS offers free online education on improving credit scores and other financial topics at www.CredAbilityU.org. Most classes are offered in English and Spanish.

About CCCS of Greater Atlanta
CCCS of Greater Atlanta serves clients in all 50 states and has 33 offices in four states. It is the headquarters for the CredAbility Network, a family of nonprofit agencies serving consumers in north Georgia, south and central Florida, middle Mississippi and east Tennessee as well as nationally via telephone and Internet.

CCCS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation and is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). Governed by a community-based board of directors, CCCS is funded by creditors, clients, contributors and grants from foundations, businesses and government agencies. CCCS offers around the-clock help by phone at 800-251-CCCS or at its Web sites, www.cccsinc.org and www.cccsenespanol.org.