What is Credit Counseling?
Reputable credit guidance services will perform the following:
- Advise you on managing your money and debt
- Help you develop a budget
- Offer free educational materials and workshops
Credit counselors are certified and learned in the aspects of credit history, money and debt management and budgeting. Counselors will discuss your whole financial situation and will help you create a personalized plan to solve your cash problems.
Choosing a Credit Counseling Organization
Most credit counselors offer their services through local offices, the net or over the telephone. When possible, you must seek one that offers in-person counseling. Make sure you develop a summary of reputable credit counseling organizations and ask that they supply you free information brochures about their services. The subsequent organizations often offer credit counseling services:
- Colleges and universities
- Military bases
- Credit unions
- Housing authorities
- County or cooperative extension services
Your financial institution, local consumer protection agency, church, friends and family may well be a good source of information and referrals. The US (Bankruptcy) Trustee Program has a list of approved credit counseling agencies in your area. Each state’s Attorney General’s office, local consumer protection agency and Better Business Bureau can give a list of any complaints filed against the agencies on your list.
Be wary! Many credit advice organizations are nonprofit and offer their services for free or for a modest fee. However, you will discover for-profit credit counselors which could charge a high fee and yet others that can bill themselves as “nonprofit” and “free” but require you to make an upfront “donation” or “voluntary” contribution.
Questions to Ask
After you have narrowed your list of credit counseling agencies, contact your final candidates and ask:
- What services do you provide? You want budget counseling and debt management classes, not debt management plans discussed below
- Will you help me avoid debt problems in the future?
- What are your fees? Are there any upfront or monthly fees? Get it in writing
- What if I can’t afford your fees?
- Will I have a formal written agreement or contract with you? Always read what you sign
- Are you licensed by the state?
- What are your counselors’ qualifications? Are they accredited or certified by an outside organization? If so, by whom? If not, how are they trained? Avoid agencies that train or certify their own counselors
- How will you keep my personal information private?
- How do you compensate your employees? Avoid any agency that pays their employees based on whether they sign you up, pay a fee or make a contribution
Debt Negotiation Programs
Stay clear of credit counseling agencies that promote debt negotiation services! They’re extremely risky and may have a negative impact on your credit report. Many claim to be nonprofit organizations and:
- Guarantee that they can reduce or remove your unsecured debt
- Require substantial monthly fees
- Demand payment of a percentage of savings
- Tell you to stop making payments or communicating with creditors
- Require you to make monthly payments to them, rather than to your creditors
- Claim creditors won’t sue you for nonpayment of unsecured debt
- Promise that using their system won’t have negative impact on your credit report
- Claim that they can remove accurate negative information from your credit report
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