Debt consolidation - Choosing a credit counselor

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When you file for bankruptcy, you will have to undergo credit counseling. Credit counseling has been introduced to avoid abuse and prevention of bankruptcy filing which had been on the rise in recent times. Credit counseling is not a bad idea. If you are in debt with no relief in sight, credit counseling can help you get out of debt. Ask your friends if they had ever opted for credit counseling and if they would be willing to recommend any credit counselors. Generally word of mouth works for business as well as individuals. You can also do some research on the internet to find a good credit counseling organization. Always work with good credit counseling agencies that have BBB accredition.



Eliminate Credit Card Debt - Using a Debt Reduction Company Online
An online debt reduction company can offer you all the services of a traditional debt consolidation company from the convenience of your home. You can shop for the best fees and sort through the scams all without making a commitment. In the end, you get lower interest rates on your bills with an agency handling your accounts for a low fee.

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Debt consolidation - Choosing a credit counselor
Recently passed by Congress, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 will require people who are filing for bankruptcy to first undergo mandatory credit counseling.

This is probably not a bad idea; after all, many people with problem debt could probably benefit from credit counseling. A good credit counselor can assist clients with problem debts in establishing a repayment schedule, creating a personal budget, and learning how to avoid debt and credit problems in the future.

The problem is that with the estimated one and a half million additional people seeking credit counseling each year, there will undoubtedly be more credit "counselors" entering the market, and many of them are only interested in reaping huge profits at the expense of their clients. There are already a number of credit counseling firms working in the marketplace that advertise themselves as "nonprofit", when they actually are closely tied to for-profit debt consolidation firms. These agencies will strongly encourage their clients to consolidate debt through their partner company, and the result may be a long term loan for the client that doesn't help them at all, but reaps huge profits for the consolidation firm. How can someone who is genuinely seeking legitimate, helpful credit counseling choose a counseling agency wisely?

*Counselors should listen. If they start pitching a solution to you during the first fifteen minutes you are there, you should be suspicious. A credit counselor should be gathering information about you in order to determine how best to help you. They can't possibly know how to help if they don't understand your problem. Unless, of course, they don't care about your problem and only want to sell generic "solutions."

*Watch out for firms that want excessive fees up front. Be particularly wary of nonprofit agencies that ask for fees or "voluntary contributions" or nonprofit agencies that tell you that they cannot help you if you do not pay a fee upfront.

*Sometimes, bankruptcy is unavoidable. Watch out if the agency doesn't mention bankruptcy at all, or if they change the subject if you bring up the topic. Debt consoldators cannot make any money on bankruptcy cases, but sometimes, that's your only option.

*Shop around. Talk to several different agencies and compare what they tell you. Any agency that differs dramatically from what the other agencies are telling you should probably be avoided.

*Check with your local Better Business Bureau, and ask if they've had any complaints about the agency.

*Watch out for firms that offer quick solutions to your problems. You didn't get into financial trouble overnight, and you won't get out of financial trouble overnight. Any competent debt or credit counselor will know this and will undoubtedly tell you that working your way out of debt takes time.

*See if the agency belongs to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling or Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. Many do.

By taking a few simple precautions before agreeing to work with a credit counselor, you may save yourself a lot of grief and a lot of money later.

Charles T. Essmeier, Jr. is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm which operates several informational Websites, including http://www.End-Your-Debt.com/ a Website devoted to information regarding credit counseling and debt consolidation.

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Debt consolidation when bills pour in

Many of us find ourselves overwhelmed with bills, bills, bills. Going to the mailbox only to find yet another late payment notice may have become a daily trauma. Your spending patterns and lack of budgeting has brought you to this point, and you know it is no one's fault but your own. Yet, what can you do about it? Bankruptcy? Give up? Perhaps you've looked at a copy of your credit report and realize you are in much, much too deep. Depression may be beginning to take over your life. Don't despair any longer; there are solutions to help you!

For most of us, when we find our selves deep in debt, we're not too happy about it! If you have found that you are spending more than you are making, or that you are 'juggling' payments - paying one this month and another next month - you must take control of the situation before it becomes any worse.

Hopefully, you have caught the situation before any of your payments have become 30 days late, or 60 days late or more. If so, there are some easy ways to handle your situation and get back on track without loosing your good credit score. If you have a record of late payments already, you can resolve the problem and earn back your good credit rating. The answer is debt consolidation.

In today's economy, you are definitely NOT alone if you have found yourself in the above situation. Credit is so available and the media impresses on us from every direction to wear better clothes, drive a better vehicle, etc. etc. etc. It seems it is never enough. We have to keep up with the Joneses it seems.

Debt consolidation is taking the debt incurred from several accounts - credit cards or medical bills, or other payments - and combining the individual payments into one consolidated loan. In doing this, the consolidation company arbitrates with your credit card obligations to lower the interest rates, and may negotiate a lower pay-in-full amount. The amount you pay each month will include fees for the debt consolidation service, but even with this fee, your payments will be lower than your high interest rate credit cards!

By far, the most common debt consolidation loan is for the consolidation of credit card debt. If you have found you have too many cards, or have charged on the ones you have to their maximum limits - now is the time to consider consolidation. Don't wait until things become worse. You do not want to reach the point of bankruptcy when you can act on your debts and avoid the stigma associated with bankruptcy.

There is certainly no disgrace in asking for, and getting, the financial help you need. Debt consolidation is a relatively painless way to go about paying off your bills. You can often take the proverbial bull by the horns, and work on the issue yourself with minimal time and effort.

Individual Credit Cards

Most credit card companies have entire departments designed to assist their clients in working out payment on their cards. Much of the time they will reduce the amount owed with your interest to a lower amount if you set up a designated payment schedule with them. This is a very reasonable way to go about taking care of your bills.

Most credit card companies will work with you, as long as you are not using their cards frequently and running up yet more charges. If you make the scheduled payments, you can likely keep your card. But you might want to consider cutting up all your cards but one that you save for emergencies. Remember that's how you got in this predicament in the first place!

The only drawback for this method is that you are contacting and handling each card separately. This could cause you to have too many separate payments for you to easily manage.

Credit and Debt Consolidation Companies

The other alternative is to learn about some of the many debt consolidation companies and choose one to help you. These companies take all your credit cards and combine them into one single monthly payment for you. By bargaining with each credit card company, they arrive at pay-off costs that are usually 40% - 60% less than your total credit card debt. They charge a slight percentage, added onto each payment, for their services and you are left with a single consolidated payment that is well below the total of all your original payments and will be paid off in a considerably shorter time.

These are the things to consider which will effect debt consolidation:

* Your current financial status
* Your State of residence
* The amount of debt that you owe
* Total unsecured loans like credit card debts
* Total secured loans such as your mortgage
* Balance on each credit card
* Any equity you may hold in your home.
* Principal / interest component of the total of each credit card

Make sure you have all this information written down. These factors can be easily obtained from a recent credit report, or you can call each company and get the information from their billing department. Either way, get the complete information of each account that you want to consolidate along with your pertinent personal information.

After you've gathered all your information, your next step will be to choose a debt consolidation company. You can locate such an organization in your local phone book or by searching the Internet. You'll want to look for a company that fits your specific needs based on the facts you have gathered. Some consolidation companies will only work with debt totals of $5000 and above; some will only work with debts of $10,000 and above; others have no such limitations. Once you find a company that fits your needs and you're accepted as a client, you're well on your way to a debt-free life!

Remember, while going through the debt consolidation process, you must keep up the payments on your credit accounts. This means remaining fully aware of your financial situation. You can accomplish this by making a good working budget for your household. After consolidating your debts, this budget will be invaluable to prevent finding yourself in yet another ocean of debt.

Hint:
Allow some time and expenses for some things that will keep you inspired toward staying within your guidelines -- save room for some occasional treats and extras. These don't have to be expensive, just a movie or going out to dinner occasionally. In fact, these treats don't have to cost much at all. You can take the kids to the park and get an ice cream cone or other simple pleasure so the road to debt-free living doesn't get boring along the way! Good Luck!

The author: Bradley Sproson.
You can also view more consumer debt related articles on Debt Elimination, Credit History, Debt Consolidation and Filing Bankruptcy by visiting http://www.4-debt-elimination.com


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Debt consolidation - Choosing a credit counselor
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