Howard Dvorkin
Howard S. Dvorkin in 2020
Born (1965-04-07) April 7, 1965
Toms River, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materAmerican University, University of Miami
Occupation(s)Chairman of debt.com, author
Notable workCredit Hell, Power Up
Websitehowarddvorkin.com

Howard Dvorkin (born April 7, 1965) is a CPA, author, national columnist, philanthropist, and founder of the nation's largest credit counseling agency.[1] The chairman of Debt.com, he has advocated a cash-only lifestyle without credit cards.[2][3][4]

Career

Dvorkin founded Consolidated Credit in 1993 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It earned an A-plus rating from the Better Business Bureau[5] and eventually grew to be one to the largest counseling and consolidation firms.[6]

After watching the organization and clients struggle with credit card debt, Dvorkin concluded, "Learning to live without a credit card is an integral part of financial empowerment....It’s about cash and discipline. Those who don’t use credit cards take money much more seriously than credit card users. The act of physically handing over the dollars and cents to a cashier or waitress generates a feeling of loss."[7]

This opinion has stood in stark contrast to the ever-increasing U.S. consumers’ love of credit cards,[8] and their increasing debt. In 2012, those consumers had an average 3.7 cards and an unpaid balance of over $5,600.[9] Meanwhile, credit card debt totaled nearly $800 billion.

Shocked at these numbers and U.S. consumers’ lack of financial education,[10] Dvorkin announced in 2013 that he was stepping down as Consolidated Credit's spokesperson to launch Debt.com, an educational and news site covering consumer debt with the goal to "build an Angie’s List or a Better Business Bureau solely focused on debt, debt relief products, for all types of debt relief."[11] In 2014, Dvorkin was named to the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame.[12][13][14]

Authorship

Dvorkin has written two books: Credit Hell (Wiley, 2005) and Power Up (Wiley, 2013).[15] He is a regular personal finance contributor to Entrepreneur and Fox Business and has been quoted as a financial expert by The New York Times, NBC News, CNN, and Bankrate, among other national media outlets.[16][17][18][19]

Philanthropy

Dvorkin is the founder of Parkland Cares, which funded $1,000,000 to provide immediate and long-term funding and awareness for mental health counseling for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivors, their families and the community-at-large.[20] Parkland Cares has since broadened its mission to serve the greater South Florida area helping to fund nonprofit mental health and trauma counseling agencies. He was formerly on the executive board of the United Way of Broward County and the former chairman Elect for the board of directors of the Better Business Bureau of Southeast Florida.[21] He was a founding member of the South Florida American Heart Association board of directors, he was also on the Board of Governors of The H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Building A Business As A Consumer Advocate, Q&A With Financial Expert Howard Dvorkin". Forbes. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  2. ↑ "The Best Credit Repair Companies for 2020". Money magazine. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  3. ↑ "In debt? You're not alone". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  4. ↑ "In financial trouble? You might want to explain it to your kids". ABC News. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  5. ↑ "BBB Business Review Archived 2014-10-14 at the Wayback Machine," Better Business Bureau
  6. ↑ "Top 10 nonprofit consumer credit counseling agencies," CreditCards.com (February 4, 2013)
  7. ↑ "A Life without Credit Cards," Page 78, Power Up (Wiley, 2013)
  8. ↑ "For shoppers, cash is back in vogue," CNN (2008)
  9. ↑ "Insights: American Financial Capability," FINRA (April 2012)
  10. ↑ "Our mission: Teach outside the classroom," Debt.com (July 7, 2014)
  11. ↑ "Building A Business As A Consumer Advocate, Q&A With Financial Expert Howard Dvorkin," Forbes ( November 28, 2015)
  12. ↑ "Junior Achievement of South Florida to host 'Business Hall of Fame'". Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Investor takes 16.0% stake in FlexShopper". SP Global. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Real estate firm sells headquarters office for $11 million". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  15. ↑ Howard Dvorkin Fox Business
  16. ↑ Click here to be debt-free," CNN (June 18, 2002)
  17. ↑ "Spotlight: Howard Dvorkin," Bankrate (Feb 28, 2008)
  18. ↑ "Starting to Build a Credit History," The New York Times (Jan. 23, 2014)
  19. ↑ "Consumer face challenges in handling debt," NBC News (July 5, 2006)
  20. ↑ "Broward Health employees donate over $100K to Parkland Cares". Florida Sun Suntinel. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Bad times drive need for BBB services". Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  22. ↑ "South Florida College loans up and some struggling to pay". Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
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