Local

“Ray of hope” for Furloughed Workers

With the partial government shutdown dragging on, WSB consumer expert Clark Howard has some advice for furloughed federal workers.

"There is ray of hope," says Howard. He says many credit unions are offering zero percent loans if you can prove that you work for the federal government. Some banks also are waiving certain fees and allowing customers to break certificates of deposit early. You can also call your credit card companies and any other creditors and tell them the situation. Many may be willing to work with you to help protect your credit. The one thing you do not want to do is take out a payday loan. "They will dig a hole for you that you can't dig out of," says Howard.

Around 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed or working without pay since Dec. 21 and won't receive their next paychecks until the government reopens. Thousands of them here in Georgia. The worst struggles have been for the huge number of federal contractors who are not getting paid and won't get paid later.

Nearly 450 federal workers made new unemployment claims in the two weeks ending Jan. 5, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.

Howard says, "even though it's painful right now, the pain will pass."

Listen

news

weather

traffic

mobile apps

Everything you love about wsbradio.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!