Gov. Ed Rendell today announced the launch of Get Help Now Pennsylvania, an initiative to provide people seeking financial advice with free assistance.

The program will start July 7. Help is available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 6 p.m. in Pennsylvania counties. Allegheny County location is at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute Conference Center in the Heinz 57 Center, Sixth Avenue, Downtown.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder participated in the announcement with Mr. Rendell via videoconference from Philadelphia. He said that the Pennsylvania program can be a model for the country and that the ability to let people go to a lawyer or financial adviser will help people financially and psychologically.

The program is geared toward people who may be having problems due to the difficult economy, including mortgage problems.

"These are times when people have lots of questions, need lots of guidance, the kind of guidance you can share." he said, speaking to the lawyers, financial advisers, mortgage brokers and state representatives who were watching from around the state.