Financial Abuse Courses To Be Offered By HAVEN

Women suffering domestic violence will have the opportunity to participate in new courses this fall, which will be implemented by HAVEN, a nationwide network of domestic violence centers and hotlines. The courses will provide instruction to abused women on recognizing the signs of financial abuse, managing their finances independently, protecting their credit and creating a budget, according to the Dallas Chronicle.

"Many people associate domestic violence with physical cuts and bruises, but bruises on your credit score and being cut off from access to money create lasting scars that make it hard, if not impossible, for victims to recover," HAVEN executive director Tara Koch told the newspaper.

Koch says financial abuse comes in many forms, from withholding funds, sabotaging a victim's credit score or cutting an individual off from finances altogether, making them financially reliant on another person. HAVEN's new courses are made possible by a grant distributed to a number of domestic violence centers throughout the U.S.

Financial abuse, money mismanagement and credit score damage are all factors that can lead to debt and make it more difficult for individuals to attain financial success. Americans, regardless of their gender and personal circumstances, should understand their debt relief options and work with banks, lenders and other types of creditors to avoid worsening their financial condition.