While your health is of the utmost importance, we understand that many of you are also anxious about your finances and how you and your family can weather this unprecedented time. In addition to monitoring your credit and helping you improve it through our app, we’ve also compiled this guide of useful tips and resources on how to stay financially afloat and maximize your available cash and credit during this time. We also understand that missing payments is an important concern, so we have listed companies that are offering late payment forgiveness, so you can prioritize your bill payments accordingly without it impacting your credit or access to services.
Table of Contents
Dealing with Loss of Income
What You Can Do if You Lost Your Job as a Result of the Coronavirus
Do You Qualify for a Stimulus Payment? (Calculator)
Check the Status of your Stimulus Payment through the IRS Portal
Maximize your Coronavirus Stimulus and Tax Refund Checks
Applying for an Emergency Credit Card
What You Can Do if You Lost Your Job as a Result of the Coronavirus
Our Credit Card Partners and Banks That are Offering Temporary Relief
Utilities, Cell Phone and Cable Companies That are Offering Help
Wondering What to Do About Your Rent or Mortgage?
What the CARES Act Says About 401(k)s
Insurance Companies Offering Relief
Resources for Food Banks and Groceries
Managing Bills
Do’s and Don’ts of Budgeting During a Crisis
Ways to Help Cut Expenses and Save Money
Protecting Your Credit
Recent Questions From Our Live Twitter Q&A
What you Should Do About the New Low Interest Rates
Free Financial Counseling Services
Protecting Your Identity and Credit, Especially Now
Tips for Protecting Your Credit Score During a Time of Uncertainty
Are you a small business owner impacted by the pandemic?
Below you’ll find a descriptive guide of what you’ll find in each of these resource articles.
Guide to our Coronavirus-Related Resources
Do you qualify for a stimulus payment? (calculator)
Eligible taxpayers will automatically receive a stimulus payment depending on their total income. Estimate your stimulus payment amount with our calculator. Read the guide.
What you can do if you lost your job as a result of the coronavirus
Many businesses and institutions have shut down or temporarily closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. If you lost your job or your income, this guide provides more information on how to file for an unemployment claim. Read the guide.
Our credit card partners and banks that are offering temporary relief
Many banks, lenders, and credit card issuers are offering flexible payment options during this time to help you prioritize your bill payments. We are updating this list daily to include the latest from these companies as well as direct links to their customer service pages for more details and contact information. Read the guide.
Utilities, cell phone, and cable companies that are offering help
There are many companies that are coming together to provide support to all consumers during this time with late-payment forgiveness, suspending disconnections, and waiving late fees. Internet Service Providers are also opening up their hotspots for free to ensure everyone is connected. This helps provide an opportunity for consumers who do not have a steady income right now to re-prioritize bill payments. We are updating this list daily to include companies that we know of that are making these pledges. Read the guide.
Wondering what to do about your rent or mortgage?
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) will be suspending all foreclosures and evictions for the next 60 days. Learn more about what this means for your own rent and mortgage payments. Read the guide.
What you should do about the new low interest rates
There are a lot of questions about what it means that the Fed cut interest rates to zero, if you should take advantage of it, and how they can help alleviate your debt and monthly payments. We have compiled an overview that covers what this means for your current debt and how you can take advantage. Read the guide.
Maximize your Coronavirus stimulus and tax refund checks
Learn more about the latest on the Coronavirus stimulus checks and tax refunds, as well as recommendations for the most effective ways to use these checks. Read the guide.
Applying for an emergency credit card
If you are currently facing or anticipating a reduced income during this time, applying for a low-interest credit card can help provide a buffer for emergencies. We’ve outlined some options and resources to help you find the right credit card based on your personal circumstances and needs. Read the guide.
Free financial counseling services
We understand that this is a difficult time and that you have lots of questions about your finances. You may want to consider receiving assistance from a financial or credit counseling service. We’ve provided more information on these services and how to find the one that best fits your needs. Read the guide.
Do’s and don’ts of budgeting during a crisis
While there is a lot of uncertainty right now regarding how long this pandemic will last and the long-term financial impact, there are steps you can take to help keep you financially stable during this time. Read the guide.
Ways you can stay financially stable, maximize your available cash and credit, Prepare for emergencies, and manage your credit
We have compiled a list of ways to help maximize your available cash and credit during this time and prepare for emergency expenses. Read the guide.
Protecting your identity and credit, especially now
While phishing scams and identity fraud are a constant concern, the number of scams are rising in light of the current situation. We provide some tips for protecting your identity and credit during this time and to help provide peace of mind. Read the guide.
Are you a small business owner impacted by the pandemic?
We understand that many of our customers are small business owners and are concerned about your business. We have compiled a list of resources and services for small businesses to help stay afloat during this time. Read the guide.
Check the Status of your Stimulus Payment through the IRS Portal
The IRS began depositing stimulus checks for millions on the week of April 13. If you haven’t yet received your payment you can check your status on the IRS’ site. Read the guide.
What the CARES Act says about 401(k)s
According to the CARES Act, you can now withdraw up to $100,000, or up to 100% of the vested balance, whichever is less, without facing a 10% penalty. Read the guide.
Recent Questions from our Live Twitter Q&A
We recently held our first live Q&A on Twitter to answer your questions about navigating finances during this challenging time. We received a lot of great questions about everything from the stimulus checks to refinancing mortgages, so we wanted to share a summary here for those that have similar inquiries. Read the guide.
Tips for protecting your credit score during a time of uncertainty
Your credit score is extremely important and can be a valuable asset for securing credit lines and loans, especially during times of economic uncertainty. Even if you have experienced a loss of income or have accumulated more debt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are actions you can take to help protect your credit score. Read the guide.
Insurance companies offering relief
Many insurance companies, especially health insurance and auto insurance companies, are providing some type of financial relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the guide.
Ways to Help Cut Expenses and Save Money
Need to cut expenses and save money, but not sure where to start? Here are our five tips to help out. Read the guide.
Resources for food banks and groceries
We’ve compiled a list of the top resources to help you find local food banks, discounted groceries, and meal services in your area. Click the links below to learn more about what’s available in your community. Read the guide.
We’re hopeful that this information can help stabilize your finances during this time. Please let us know if you have any comments below. In the meantime, Credit Sesame can be a free valuable resource to help you monitor your finances during these uncertain times. And most importantly, please stay safe and healthy.
Disclaimer: You can trust that we maintain strict editorial integrity in our writing and assessments; however, we receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners and get approved. This blog article is for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as financial advice. Although reasonable efforts have been made, we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information presented.
