Credit counseling and debt management – points to be aware of
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Debt management simply means reducing your debt through managing your assets and negotiating with creditors. It encompasses debt management plans whereby a fixed amount is deposited in specified accounts. These funds are then applied towards payment of your dues.
In choosing credit counselling, you should consider different factors:
- Referral – It helps if you exchange notes with people who have been in a similar situation; you can ask questions regarding their experiences with their credit counselors or debt management specialists. Moreover, a successful company will be able to share their successful clients without giving out the personal information, so go on ahead and ask a referred company to give examples.
- National Accreditation – For obvious reasons an accredited company is known to follow proper practices and you stand a better chance of success working with them. One of the most outstanding accrediting bodies is the American Association of Debt Management Organizations. Companies under this group focus on credit counseling, debt management plans, and budget or finance industry education, among others.
- Better Business Bureau – This agency can provide you with information about the short-listed firms. It would be advisable to seek help from concerned regulatory authorities to learn about the companies you are going to deal with. It will also help if you check the firm’s website to confirm if it is a member of the online arm of the Better Business Bureau and if it has been awarded the reliability program online seal.
- Profit vs. Non-Profit Company – In some states, companies in this field are required to be of non-profit status before they can do business in those states. Most non-profit credit counseling companies are funded by credit card companies with grants and fair-share deductions so they can recover their money from those who are not making their payments. A non-profit company does not pay taxes. Analyze the company to weigh if their status is just a marketing ploy.
- Excessive Costs – Credit card companies and other lenders have lowered their funding for credit counseling. In turn, the counseling firms raised their fees. You should be wary of those companies charging a huge upfront payment when establishing an account. Some companies, on the other hand, can afford to waive their enrollment fees.
- Education – A good credit counselor or debt management specialist is always willing to provide you with enough information on how to manage your financial problems. This can be in the form of CDs or videos.
- Written Plan – A company which is well established in the business will provide proper attention to every client like you. Everything has to be documented, from the terms of payment to realistic goal setting. Some of these firms can provide comparison quotes to see how much you can save, what your interest rate will be like, and how long it will take for you to be debt free.
Seeking good debt management advice should not be a burdensome task as long as you are equipped with the know-how and with an open mind that it can be done. You can then look forward to a successful outcome.
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