The best way to handle any debt is to be able to pay it off without any help. Sometimes that just can’t happen. Making minimum payments can sometimes be a challenge if your situation changes.
Consolidating debt is an option for people who can’t make payments. You could do this alone by putting all you debt on a low interest credit card or get a home equity loan. There are also credit counseling services available as an option.
How Does Credit Counseling Work?
With credit counseling, you work with the creditors for a lower interest or payments. Late and over-the limit fees are often forgiven. The client sends just one single payment monthly to the credit counseling agency to be distributed to the creditors.
The Pros
A credit card counselor can usually negotiate a lower rate or payment if you can’t. You will be able to pay off your debt faster with the money you save. You can also plan a budget to repay your debt and also still have some money left for other things if the counselor helps you.
The Cons
One problem with credit counseling is that it sometimes does not result in a monthly payment that the client can afford. Creditors are only willing to negotiate so far, and if you owe a lot of money you may not be able to afford the best deal they will give you. If that is the case, you’ll have to either find another means of paying your debt or consider bankruptcy.
Another thing about credit counseling is that it isn’t free. Credit counseling agencies may charge monthly fees for their services, adding them on to your monthly payment. If they don’t, they have to get the money to pay their employees somewhere. That “somewhere” is usually from your debtors, as a percentage of your payment.
It’s still not sure as to how your credit is affected by going through credit counseling. Usually you will have to finish the program to get new credit but it could still affect you as many people who lend you money think of credit counseling to be like Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Check out a prospective counseling agency first. Just because they deal in credit counseling, it doesn’t mean that they are all honest. The Better Business Bureau can help you with this.
It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of credit counseling. You may not need to involve another party if you just take the time to work with your creditors first.
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