How to Find Help for Financial Abuse

You don't have to sort out financial abuse alone, and you don't need to be sure it's abuse before you ask for help. Free, confidential help is available by phone, text and chat at any hour, and local advocates, legal aid groups and financial counselors can help with safety, debt and credit. This guide explains who does what, what to expect when you reach out and how to make contact as safely as you can.

1. Hotlines and chat

A hotline advocate is a good first call, because they can connect you with every other kind of help in this guide. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (the Hotline) is free, confidential and open 24/7 by phone, text and chat. Advocates speak with people in over 200 languages, and there is a Spanish-language site at espanol.thehotline.org.

Advocates can listen, help you build a personal safety plan and connect you with programs near you, and friends and family can call too. The Hotline doesn't give cash or hotel vouchers, but it can point you to local groups that may.

The Hotline also points to separate helplines, including the StrongHearts Native Helpline (1-844-762-8483) for Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

2. What to expect when you contact a hotline

Many people worry that calling means they have to leave, report someone or tell their whole story, but a hotline call is a private conversation with a trained advocate. Here's what to expect:

It's confidential. The Hotline says its services are always confidential.
You share only what you want. You can skip any question you'd rather not answer, except a safety question at the start and, if you chat or text, your age.
You stay in charge. Advocates won't make decisions for you, and they help whether you stay, leave or go back, which are all common.
You can plan for safety. An advocate can help you make a personal safety plan, including how to protect your money, papers and accounts. Our guide on building a financial safety plan covers the money side.

Leaving can be the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship, so an advocate's help with timing matters before any big step.

3. Local advocates, legal aid and financial counselors

Local domestic violence programs

Every state has local programs with advocates who can meet you in person and help with shelter, court dates, public benefits, jobs and money. Many run financial classes or coaching, and the Hotline can connect you with the nearest one.

Legal aid

Legal aid groups give free legal help to people with limited income, including with orders of protection, divorce, custody, housing and debts in your name. LawHelp.org lists nonprofit legal aid groups in every state and territory, which matters because these rules vary by state.

Talk with a legal advocate before you move money out of a joint account. Taking money from a shared account can have legal effects in a divorce or custody case, and doing it in secret can also raise safety risks.

Financial counselors

Nonprofit credit counselors help you make a budget, deal with debt and understand your credit report. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), at 1-877-360-6322, connects you with member agencies. Our debt help guide explains how credit counseling works and how to avoid for-profit "debt relief" scams.

NNEDV, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, runs the Independence Program (formerly the Independence Project). It offers survivors small loans at 0% interest with no fees and reports the payments to the credit bureaus to help build credit. The first loan is $100, repaid at $10 a month for 10 months. To qualify, you meet with a domestic violence advocate at least three times and share a monthly budget. NNEDV says the loans aren't yet available in Mississippi, Oklahoma or Ohio.

4. Banks, the CFPB and the FTC

Your bank or credit union

Banks and credit unions have fraud and security teams you can reach through the number on your card or at a branch. They can help you open an account in your name only, change your PIN and passwords, set up alerts, remove an authorized user and dispute charges you didn't make. Changes to a joint account may be visible to the other account holder, so ask the bank what they will see. Our checking accounts guide explains your options.

The CFPB

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is a federal agency that handles complaints about banks, lenders, credit cards and credit bureaus. You can file at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or call 1-855-411-2372, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. The CFPB sends your complaint to the company for a response.

The FTC and IdentityTheft.gov

If someone opened accounts or loans in your name without your permission, the Federal Trade Commission's site IdentityTheft.gov lets you report it and get a step-by-step recovery plan. When Rosa found three credit cards on her report that her brother had opened in her name, she reported them there and used the recovery plan to dispute each one with the credit bureaus. Our credit score guide explains how to get your free reports.

5. Police and the courts

Call 911 if you're in immediate danger. An order of protection (called a restraining or protective order in some states) is a court order that tells someone to stay away from you or stop certain behavior. Depending on your state, it can come from a criminal case, a family or civil court, or both. Which courts handle it and which relationships qualify vary by state, so ask an advocate or legal aid lawyer to walk you through it. New York's rules are in section 8.

6. Making contact safely

Someone who is abusive may watch your phone, computer, accounts or mail. No step can promise that you won't be noticed, but these habits lower the risk:

Use a safe device, like a friend's phone, a work computer you trust or a library computer.
Clear your history on a shared device, knowing that the Hotline warns internet use can be monitored and is impossible to fully erase.
Check shared accounts and passwords. A shared email or cloud account can show your messages and searches.
Look at location sharing. Phones, cars and some apps share where you are.
Think about banking apps and mail. Alerts on a shared tablet, or statements sent to a shared email or address, can reveal a new account. An email address only you use can help.
Pick your timing. Call or chat when you have privacy, such as during a work break, since the Hotline is open 24/7.

NNEDV's Safety Net Project at techsafety.org has more on tech safety. An advocate can help you decide which changes are safe, because suddenly changing a password can sometimes alert the other person.

7. Help for specific groups

LGBTQ+ survivors. Hotline advocates support anyone in an abusive relationship. Some local programs focus on LGBTQ+ survivors, and the Hotline can help you find one.
Deaf and hard of hearing survivors. The Deaf Hotline is reachable by video phone at 1-855-812-1001, and the Hotline also offers chat and text.
Immigrants. Many programs help survivors regardless of immigration status. Ask an advocate about your options, and see an immigration lawyer or legal aid group before making legal decisions.
Older adults. The National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-372-8311, serves people 60 and older and runs Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. A case manager helps you report the crime and find other help. Adult Protective Services (APS) is a local government service that looks into abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of adults who need help. The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can connect you with services near you.
Men. Men experience financial abuse too, and the Hotline meets everyone who contacts it with respect and without judgment.

8. If you live in New York

New York has statewide and local services, including these:

NYS Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline: call 1-800-942-6906, text 844-997-2121 or chat at opdv.ny.gov/chat. It's confidential, open 24/7 and available in most languages.
County programs: the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) lists local programs by county at opdv.ny.gov. Outside New York City, this is the quickest way to find your nearest program.
New York City: Safe Horizon's 24/7 hotline is 1-800-621-4673 (HOPE). The city's Family Justice Centers offer free, confidential help in all five boroughs, including safety planning, legal consultations, financial coaching and help with benefits. No appointment is needed, they're open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and help is available regardless of immigration status. Call 311 to be connected.
LGBTQ+ survivors in NYC: the Anti-Violence Project (AVP) runs a free English and Spanish hotline at 212-714-1141.
Older adults: outside New York City, Adult Protective Services is run by your county Department of Social Services, so call your county DSS or find it in NAPSA's directory. In New York City, call APS at 718-557-1399, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Orders of protection in New York

In New York you can ask for an order of protection in Family Court, Criminal Court or both. Family Court is open to you if the other person is related to you by blood or marriage, is or was your spouse, has a child with you, or is or was in an intimate relationship with you. Filing in Family Court is free, and a judge may issue a temporary order the day you file. You can ask the judge to appoint a lawyer if you can't afford one. If the other person isn't in one of those relationships, Criminal Court is the only route, and it requires an arrest first.

Common mistakes when seeking help

Waiting until you're sure it's abuse. Advocates help people who are still figuring it out.
Using a shared device to search for help. Use a safe device whenever you can.
Confronting the abusive partner about money or plans. It can raise your risk, so plan with an advocate instead.
Moving joint money without legal advice. Talk with a legal advocate first.
Thinking help is only for women or married people. Services are for everyone.

Frequently asked questions

Will calling the Hotline report my partner to the police?

The Hotline describes its services as confidential. Advocates talk through your options, and you decide whether to involve the police. If you want police help, call 911.

Do I have to leave to get help?

No. Advocates help people who are staying, leaving or going back, and you're the expert on what's safe for you.

Can I get help with debt that was put in my name?

Yes. You can report identity theft on IdentityTheft.gov, dispute accounts with the credit bureaus and get help from legal aid or a nonprofit credit counselor. Our bankruptcy guide covers a last-resort option.

The bottom line

Help for financial abuse is free, confidential and open to everyone, and a hotline advocate can help with safety and connect you with legal, financial and local support. Reach out from a safe device when you can, plan any big money moves with an advocate first and remember that you decide what happens next.

Sources and further learning

Convivial Wealth education guide · General education for U.S. readers, not legal advice. If you're in danger, call 911. Resources and numbers are checked each year.

Read our full educational disclaimer.