Tenfold

Free-Help · PA

Rating: 4.1/5

Tenfold logo

Tenfold is a non-profit providing free housing counseling, financial counseling, and shelter services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Central Pennsylvania.

Official Website

https://www.WeAreTenfold.org

Tenfold Review

Tenfold was formed through the merger of two organizations—Tabor and LHOP—bringing together over 80 years of collective expertise in community development and financial empowerment. The organization operates as a trusted non-profit partner across Central Pennsylvania, specifically serving Lancaster County and surrounding areas. Since 2004, Tenfold has managed The Lighthouse (TLC), a historic 52-room shelter facility originally constructed in 1910 and located at 105 E.

King St., Lancaster, PA. The organization's mission centers on empowering neighbors to overcome homelessness, prevent eviction, prepare for homeownership, and achieve financial stability through comprehensive support services.

Tenfold offers a multi-faceted suite of free and low-cost services designed to address various financial and housing challenges. Their primary offerings include temporary shelter through TLC with personalized case management; housing counseling and financial counseling services; homebuyer education through a partnership with eHome America's self-paced platform; budgeting and credit assistance; landlord-tenant mediation; and fair housing guidance. The Ann B.

Barshinger Financial Empowerment Center, operated as a service of Tenfold, specifically targets first-time homebuyers and provides counseling across housing, financial, and educational domains. Additionally, Tenfold manages the Veterans' Victory House (VVH), a dedicated program within TLC serving veterans facing homelessness.

Tenfold distinguishes itself through its integration of immediate crisis intervention (shelter) with long-term financial empowerment. Rather than operating as a single-service provider, the organization combines emergency housing, employment support, job training coordination, housing placement assistance, and financial literacy into a comprehensive pathway toward self-sufficiency. Their shelter model emphasizes family unity—allowing families with children and couples to remain together in private rooms—and serves all household types including veterans, families, couples, and individuals.

Fiscal year 2023-24 data demonstrates significant community impact: 1,130 outreach services to homeless individuals, 23,459 shelter bed-nights provided, 584 households receiving counseling, and approximately $556,129 in loans facilitated for first-time homebuyers.

Tenfold is best suited for individuals and families in crisis or transitional phases who require comprehensive support rather than isolated services. The organization's strength lies in its ability to provide immediate shelter while simultaneously building financial capacity and housing stability. However, geographic scope is limited to Central Pennsylvania (primarily Lancaster County), and the organization relies on donation funding, including a current capital campaign for building renovation, which may affect service continuity.

As a non-profit, service availability and responsiveness depend on staff capacity and funding levels.

Pros & Cons

Reader-focused summary of the strongest reasons to consider Tenfold and the factors most worth weighing before contracting. Individual outcomes depend on your credit situation and goals.

Pros

  • Free housing, financial, and homebuyer counseling provided by trained professionals serving rural and urban areas
  • Integrated shelter and supportive services model keeping families together with private rooms and individualized case management
  • Dedicated Veterans' Victory House program within TLC specifically addressing veteran homelessness
  • Partnership with eHome America offers self-paced, flexible homebuyer education platform for busy individuals
  • Facilitated approximately $556,129 in first-time homebuyer loans in fiscal year 2023-24
  • 52-room shelter with employment support, job training coordination, and housing placement assistance
  • Over 80 years of collective organizational expertise in community financial empowerment

Areas to Consider

  • !Limited geographic service area restricted to Central Pennsylvania and Lancaster County
  • !Dependent on donations and grant funding, including active capital campaign for building renovation which may affect service reliability
  • !Contact form intake process without guaranteed response timeframe specified
  • !No indication of 24/7 shelter availability or emergency intake procedures on website
  • !Limited information about eligibility criteria, service wait times, or capacity constraints

Verdict Summary

Tenfold works best for consumers who value free housing, financial, and homebuyer counseling provided by trained profession and can accept the tradeoff of limited geographic service area restricted to central pennsylvania and lancaster. Compare against similar providers below before signing any contract.

Services & Features

Services offered

Feature Checklist

Credit Monitoring
All Three Bureaus
Goodwill Letters
Cease Desist Letters
Debt Validation
Credit Education
Identity Theft Protection
Score Tracking
Mobile App
Online Portal
Personal Advisor
Ai Powered

Best For

Before You Contact Tenfold

Before signing up with any Free Help provider, review these safeguards:

Compare Your Needs With Tenfold

Match these decision factors against Tenfold's profile before committing. This rubric mirrors what independent consumer-finance research typically checks for Free Help providers.

Category

Free Help

Service scope

12 services listed

Geographic coverage

1 states

Match to your priorities

  • Budget priority: Pricing published above — factor in setup, monthly, and cancellation fees over the full expected service window.
  • Complexity priority: Consider Tenfold's stated strengths (Free housing, financial, and homebuyer counseling provided by trained professionals serving rural...) against your specific credit situation.
  • Timeline priority: Free Help typically takes 3-6 months for meaningful outcomes. Providers guaranteeing overnight results are red flags under federal consumer protection law.
  • Recourse priority: Confirm state licensing via your state regulator and check the CFPB complaint database before contracting.
  • Alternatives: Compare against all Free Help providers, DIY options via non-profit counseling agencies, and free CFPB resources.

Pricing

  • Monthly Price: 0
  • Setup Fee: 0
  • Money Back Guarantee: False
  • Guarantee Details:
  • Free Consultation: True
  • Tiers: []
  • Currency: USD

Frequently Asked Questions

What services does Tenfold offer?

Tenfold offers 12 services including Emergency shelter with 52 private rooms and personalized case management, Veterans' Victory House dedicated program for veterans experiencing homelessness, Housing counseling and stability planning services, Financial counseling and budgeting assistance, Homebuyer education through eHome America self-paced platform partnership, and 7 more. Confirm current service list directly with the provider before contracting.

Who is Tenfold best suited for?

Tenfold's profile signals suggest it may fit: Families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Lancaster County seeking emergency shelter plus case management; First-time homebuyers in Central Pennsylvania preparing for purchase and seeking housing counseling; Veterans experiencing housing instability who would benefit from dedicated veteran services; Renters facing eviction or landlord-tenant disputes seeking mediation and financial counseling. Individual outcomes vary based on your specific situation.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Tenfold?

Key strengths: Free housing, financial, and homebuyer counseling provided by trained professionals serving rural and urban areas; Integrated shelter and supportive services model keeping families together with private rooms and individualized case management; Dedicated Veterans' Victory House program within TLC specifically addressing veteran homelessness. Areas to consider: Limited geographic service area restricted to Central Pennsylvania and Lancaster County; Dependent on donations and grant funding, including active capital campaign for building renovation which may affect service reliability.

How does Tenfold compare to similar companies?

In the Free Help category, comparable providers include Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp., Navicore Solutions, Take Charge America. Each company has different strengths, so compare services, pricing, and consumer complaint records before deciding what to do next.

Where does Tenfold operate?

Tenfold serves customers in 1 states including PA. Confirm current service availability in your state directly with the provider.

How much does Tenfold cost?

Listed pricing for Tenfold: monthly price: 0; setup fee: 0; money back guarantee: False. Pricing may change — verify current fees directly with the provider before signing any contract.

Visit Tenfold

State Consumer Finance Context

This is state-level context for Free Help consumers in Pennsylvania. It does not confirm that Tenfold or this specific location is licensed.

State regulator: Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities
Consumer protection: Pennsylvania Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection

Credit and debt help rules in Pennsylvania

Key state rules to check

Payday lending in Pennsylvania: Banned

Usury cap: 6% for non-licensed lenders (24% for licensed small loan companies); payday lending banned

Complaint resources

State references

Pennsylvania effectively bans payday lending through its strict usury laws. Licensed consumer discount companies can charge higher rates but remain well below payday loan levels. Consumers can file complaints with the Department of Banking and Securities or the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Similar Companies

Comparable Free Help providers with similar service scope. Ratings reflect stored review context; verify current licensing and pricing directly before contracting.

Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp. logo

Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp.

NFCC-certified nonprofit offering free credit counseling, debt management plans, housing counseling, and bankruptcy guidance since 1996.

Rating 4.6/5

Read review →

Notable: NFCC-certified nonprofit with 30 years of operation since 1996 — not a for-profit debt settlement company

Navicore Solutions logo

Navicore Solutions

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Rating 4.8/5

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Notable: 30+ years of operation since 1991 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no profit motive

Take Charge America logo

Take Charge America

Nonprofit NFCC-certified credit counseling agency offering free initial consultations and paid Debt Management Plans to reduce interest rates on unsecured de...

Rating 4.9/5

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Notable: Nonprofit agency founded in 1987 with 35+ years of operation and 2 million+ clients served

American Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc. logo

American Consumer Credit Counseling, Inc.

ACCC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit credit counseling agency founded in 1991, offering free debt management programs starting at \/month. BBB A+ rated with 4.98 st...

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Notable: Nonprofit 501(c)(3) structure aligns incentives with the consumer, not profit generation

Consolidated Credit logo

Consolidated Credit

Nonprofit credit counseling agency offering free counseling, debt management programs, and HUD-approved housing help. Rated 4.7/5 from 9,144 reviews.

Rating 4.4/5

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Notable: Free initial credit counseling with certified counselors — no cost to review your situation

Greenpath Financial Wellness logo

Greenpath Financial Wellness

GreenPath Financial Wellness is a 60-year-old national nonprofit offering free NFCC and HUD-certified financial counseling, debt management, and housing guidance.

Rating 4.5/5

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Notable: 60+ year operational history as established national nonprofit with NFCC and HUD dual certification

Incharge Debt Solutions logo

Incharge Debt Solutions

InCharge Debt Solutions is a 27-year-old Orlando-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering free credit counseling, debt management programs ($32-34/mo), and HUD-cer...

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Notable: 27-year track record as 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 3.2 million clients served and $3.4 billion in debt repaid

Abacus Credit Counseling logo

Abacus Credit Counseling

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Related Questions

Quick Summary

Tenfold — Free Help in PA.

Overall rating: 4.1/5

Tenfold is a non-profit providing free housing counseling, financial counseling, and shelter services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Central Pennsylvania.

Next Steps

  1. Compare Tenfold against similar options above.
  2. Run our borrowing power quiz to see how Tenfold matches your situation.
  3. Check state regulator listings for Tenfold's licensing before committing.
  4. Visit Tenfold once you're ready.

Glossary of Terms

Common terms that come up when comparing Free Help providers. Full glossary at creditdoc.co/glossary/.

Amortization — Loan Amortization
The process of paying off a loan through regular payments that cover both principal and interest. Early payments are mostly interest; later payments are mostly principal.
Why it matters: Understanding amortization explains why paying extra early in a loan saves the most money — you're reducing the principal that interest is calculated on.
Example: Month 1 of a $200,000 mortgage at 6%: your $1,199 payment splits as $1,000 interest + $199 principal. By month 300: only $47 goes to interest and $1,152 goes to principal.
Balloon Payment
A large lump-sum payment due at the end of a loan, after a period of smaller monthly payments. The loan isn't fully paid off by the regular payments — the balloon settles it.
Why it matters: Balloon payments make monthly payments look affordable but create a financial cliff. If you can't pay or refinance at the end, you could lose your home or asset.
Example: A 5-year balloon mortgage on $200,000: you pay $1,054/month (as if it were a 30-year loan), but after 5 years you owe a balloon of $186,108 all at once.
Collateral — Loan Collateral
An asset you pledge to the lender as security for a loan. If you stop paying, the lender can seize and sell that asset to recover their money.
Why it matters: Secured loans (with collateral) have lower interest rates because the lender has less risk. But you could lose your home, car, or savings if you default.
Example: A mortgage uses your house as collateral. A car loan uses your vehicle. A title loan uses your car title. If you miss payments, the lender can foreclose or repossess.
Cosigner — Loan Cosigner
A person who agrees to repay your loan if you can't. They're equally responsible for the debt, and their credit is affected by your payment behavior.
Why it matters: Cosigning helps people with thin credit get approved or get better rates. But it's a huge risk for the cosigner — they're on the hook for the full amount if you default.
Example: A parent cosigns their child's $30,000 student loan. The child stops paying after 6 months. The parent is now legally required to make the payments or face collections, lawsuits, and credit damage.
Credit Bureau — Credit Reporting Agency (Bureau)
A company that collects and sells information about your credit history. The three major bureaus are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Why it matters: Not all lenders report to all three bureaus, so your reports may differ. You should check all three reports because an error on one could be costing you money.
Example: Your car loan only reports to Equifax and TransUnion. Your Experian report doesn't show that good payment history, so your Experian score is 15 points lower.
Credit Freeze — Security Freeze / Credit Freeze
A free tool that locks your credit report so no one (including you) can open new accounts until you lift it. It's the strongest protection against identity theft.
Why it matters: A credit freeze prevents criminals from opening loans in your name, even if they have your Social Security number. It's free by law and doesn't affect your credit score.
Example: Your data was in a breach. You freeze your credit at all 3 bureaus (takes 10 minutes online). A thief tries to open a credit card in your name — denied because the lender can't pull your frozen report.
Credit Mix — Credit Mix (Types of Credit)
The variety of credit accounts you have — credit cards (revolving), auto loans (installment), mortgage, student loans, etc. Having multiple types shows you can manage different kinds of debt.
Why it matters: Credit mix accounts for about 10% of your FICO score. Having only credit cards isn't as strong as having a card, an installment loan, and a mortgage.
Example: Borrower A has 3 credit cards. Borrower B has 2 credit cards, a car loan, and a student loan. Even with the same payment history and utilization, Borrower B's score is typically higher.
Credit Report — Consumer Credit Report
A detailed record of your borrowing history maintained by credit bureaus. It lists every loan, credit card, payment history, collection, and public record tied to your name.
Why it matters: Errors on credit reports are common — 1 in 5 consumers has at least one mistake. Checking your report regularly is the first step to fixing errors that are costing you money.
Example: You pull your free report from AnnualCreditReport.com and find a $2,400 medical collection you already paid. You dispute it, the bureau verifies it's resolved, and your score goes up 40 points.
Credit Score
A 3-digit number (300-850) that summarizes how reliably you've handled borrowed money. Higher scores mean lower risk to lenders and better loan terms for you.
Why it matters: Your credit score determines whether you get approved and at what rate. A 100-point difference can mean thousands of dollars more or less in interest over a loan's life.
Example: On a $250,000 30-year mortgage: a 760 score gets you 6.2% ($1,536/month). A 660 score gets 7.4% ($1,729/month). Over 30 years, the lower score costs you $69,480 more.
Credit Utilization — Credit Utilization Ratio
The percentage of your available credit that you're currently using. If you have $10,000 in credit limits and owe $3,000, your utilization is 30%.
Why it matters: Utilization is the second-biggest factor in your credit score (after payment history). Keeping it below 30% helps your score; below 10% is ideal.
Example: You have 3 cards with a $15,000 total limit. You're carrying $4,500 in balances (30% utilization). Paying down to $1,500 (10% utilization) could boost your score by 20-50 points.
Default — Loan Default
When you fail to repay a loan according to the agreed terms — usually after 90-180 days of missed payments. It's the point where the lender gives up on collecting normally.
Why it matters: Default triggers severe consequences: credit score drops 100+ points, the debt may be sent to collections, you could be sued, and your wages or assets could be seized.
Example: You miss 4 consecutive car payments. The lender declares your loan in default, repossesses your car, sells it at auction for $8,000, and you still owe the remaining $5,000 (called a deficiency balance).
FICO Score — Fair Isaac Corporation Score
The most widely used credit scoring model, created by Fair Isaac Corporation. 90% of top lenders use FICO scores for lending decisions.
Why it matters: FICO has many versions (FICO 8, 9, 10). Mortgage lenders still use older versions (FICO 2, 4, 5), so your mortgage score may differ from what free apps show you.
Example: Your FICO 8 score (used for credit cards) is 740. Your FICO 5 score (used for mortgages) is 725 because it weighs collections differently. Same credit history, different scores.
Hard Inquiry — Hard Credit Inquiry (Hard Pull)
When a lender checks your credit report because you've applied for credit. Each hard inquiry can lower your score by 5-10 points and stays on your report for 2 years.
Why it matters: Multiple hard inquiries in a short period suggest you're desperately seeking credit, which is a red flag. Exception: mortgage and auto loan shopping within 14-45 days counts as one inquiry.
Example: You apply for 5 credit cards in one month. Each application triggers a hard inquiry. Your score drops 25-50 points from the inquiries alone, making each subsequent application harder.
Loan Term (Tenor) — Loan Term / Tenor
How long you have to repay the loan, measured in months or years. A shorter term means higher monthly payments but less total interest paid.
Why it matters: Longer terms feel more affordable monthly but cost much more overall. A 30-year mortgage costs almost double in interest compared to a 15-year mortgage on the same amount.
Example: Borrowing $200,000 at 6.5%: A 15-year term costs $1,742/month ($113,561 total interest). A 30-year term costs $1,264/month ($255,088 total interest). You save $141,527 with the shorter term.
Origination Fee — Loan Origination Fee
A one-time fee the lender charges to process and set up your loan. It covers their costs for underwriting, verifying your information, and preparing paperwork.
Why it matters: Origination fees are usually 1-8% of the loan amount and are often deducted from your loan proceeds — so you receive less than you borrowed.
Example: You're approved for a $10,000 personal loan with a 5% origination fee. The lender deducts $500 upfront, so you receive $9,500 in your bank account but owe $10,000 plus interest.