Credit Counseling - Signs That You May Need Help


Credit counseling is a viable option for those who are feeling the stress of being overwhelmed by debt. Credit counseling primarily offers assistance with working out a credit and debt repayment plan for an individual to gain control of their finances by creating a structured budget for an individual to follow. Credit counseling offers an individual the option to repay their debts, if needed, through a credit counseling debt repayment program. This is where the credit counseling organization becomes in contact with an individuals creditor to ask for lowered interest rates and for the credit provider to stop any late and over the limit fees that may be attached to a particular credit card. Credit counseling organizations that provide a no charge credit and money management education program for an individual typically have the individual consumer's best interest on their mind.

Credit counseling may be needed if the following signs are present:

1. Are you using more and more of your income to pay your debts?
This becomes a problem if you are at the point where the money going out is less than or nearly less than the money coming in. Credit counseling would be a wise choice. Speaking to a credit counseling organization at this point can help because in a counseling session you may find that by sticking to a sound budget you may be able to avoid additional help. The best part is the counseling sessions should be at no charge, make sure of that before speaking to an agency.

2. Do you make only the minimum payments due on your loans and credit cards each month?
Look at your budget, that is review what dollars are coming in and how those dollars are going out. You may find that by tweaking your budget you may be able to avoid credit counseling by implementing a plan of savings through following your own plan. This should allow you to free up more money to be more aggressive in repaying your debt. Credit counseling may be needed if you have reviewed your budget and can't find additional funds to pay more than the minimum amounts to your credit cards. Paying only the minimum to your credit cards will only prolong the length of time needed to repay your debt. Some credit cards may charge such a high interest rate that it could take years upon years to pay off with minimum payments.

3. Are you near, at, or over the credit limit on your credit cards?
Once a credit card is nearing it's available balance or even worse if the credit card is over it's credit limit it is time to take aggressive action to pay down the balance. If this is a situation you are finding yourself in try finding additional dollars to bring your balances down. It is recommended that when doping this you do not open another credit account or take a consolidation loan to repay these accounts as more often than not taking a loan to pay a loan will result in more debt being owed. If you can't find the dollars to apply towards the credit cards try speaking to a credit counseling organization. They may be able to lay out a plan for you to repay the debt on your own, or through their own credit counseling services.

4. Are you paying your bills with money intended for other things?
If you find yourself "robbing Peter to pay Paul" with your credit cards it may be acceptable if you are replacing the dollars that are going to unnecessary items such as cable TV., cell phone payments?etc. Just as long as those accounts have been paid and you are not accruing any more fees from them. However if you find yourself using dollars that are intended for necessary items such as a car payment, a house loan, food, etc. then you are most likely in a situation where credit counseling is an option you may need to look into. Look at speaking to a certified credit counselor that will offer a solution to your financial needs. Getting out of the red is very important, the sooner you take action the better.

5. Are you borrowing money or using credit cards to pay for things you used to buy with cash?
This can be very problematic when you are utilizing your credit to purchase things like groceries, fuel or other disposable goods. If you are currently in the act of doing this review your finances to determine if you can avoid making these purchases with your credit. If this can't be avoided try speaking to a credit counseling organization. They should be able to give you the tools needed to avoid this costly practice.

6. Do you often pay your bills late?
There are a few reasons on why an individual may frequently pay their bills after the due date. One of the main reasons is that there isn't a budget in place to follow, therefore rendering the payments of the debt to the instance of when a person gets paid. If a payment is due on the 25th and a individual is paid on the 30th this typically develops into a past due payment. This is due to the fact that the majority of people live from one paycheck to the next. Creating a savings account and a budget plan will resolve this issue for the most part. Paying bills late on a regular basis may also be attributed to an individual being upside down with their debts, meaning that there is more money going out regularly than coming in. Once this point is reached it may be time to speak to a credit counseling organization. It is urgent to seek help at this point in order to order to avoid long lasting damage to your credit.

Regardless of your situation it is important to seek help when feeling the pinch of being upside down or behind with your finances. Taking measures early will result in less dollars that go out in the long run. Taking action early will also result in a lesser need of bankruptcy which has long lasting negative impact on your credit worthiness.

Rick Munster lives in Boise, ID where he works as the Media Planner for Debt Reduction Services, http://www.debtreductionservices.com. When he's not busy working with the media he enjoys writing, or getting away to do a little fishing.


MORE RESOURCES:

BNET

FTC Unveils Law Banning Up-Front Fees From Some Debt-Relief Companies
Wall Street Journal
The law, which begins to take effect in September, would bar companies that sell debt-relief services over the phone from charging up-front fees. ...
FTC cracks down on debt-relief companiesWashington Post (blog)
FTC Bans Advance Fees at Debt Relief CompaniesBaltimore Sun (blog)
New FTC rule prohibits debt-relief companies from charging consumers advance feesPlain Dealer
PR Newswire (press release) -Connecticut Watchdog (blog) -eCreditDaily.com
all 214 news articles »


PBS (blog)

The Inception of New Debt Relief Programs Helps Consumers Get Out of Credit ...
Marketwire (press release)
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - July 28, 2010) - Throughout history debt relief has evolved and recently the industry has undergone a dramatic change due to ...
Time to settle up? BewareTampabay.com
Debt Settlement and Consumer Credit Counseling – Which Is Your Best OptionSplash Press Release (press release)
Debt Settlement Negotiation Vs. Credit Counseling - Which Is The Best Debt ...I-Newswire.com (press release)
PR Web (press release)
all 33 news articles »


Marchant pulls support for medical debt relief bill
The Hill (blog)
Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) this week withdrew his support for legislation to prevent paid medical debts from ...



Survey: Many hospital patients in dark about debt-relief options
Indianapolis Business Journal
A survey of Marion County residents found that 80 percent of respondents owe money to a local hospital—and about half of them say they were never informed ...

and more »


Bankrate.com

7 simple ways to defeat debt denial
Bankrate.com
A simple filing system ensures you pay your bills on time, suggests Kevin Gallegos, vice president of Freedom Debt Relief, a debt settlement company in ...

and more »


The State

CONSUMER FINANCE: Auto Sales Are Top Consumer Complaint
Wall Street Journal
2 position from third place last year as more consumers faced troubles with mortgage-related fraud, debt-relief services, predatory lending and illegal or ...
Top Consumer Complaints in 2009New York Times (blog)
Financial woes overshadow list of top 10 consumer complaintsWalletPop (blog)
Consumer complaints surged in trying 2009Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Denver Post -KGO-TV
all 37 news articles »


Debt Consolidation Becomes Simpler in Burnaby
Online PR News (press release)
CCC plays an active role in providing debt relief to individuals. It offers different debt-relief options for individuals who are in financial trouble. ...




Attleboro Sun Chronicle

The Misperception of Credit Card Debt Relief and How Consumers Are Getting Out ...
Marketwire (press release)
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - July 24, 2010) - It's hard not to notice all the advertisements and promotions for debt relief. Whether it is on TV, radio, ...
Too good to be trueAttleboro Sun Chronicle
Debt Solutions Available Today That Can Make A DifferenceOfficialWire (press release)

all 10 news articles »


Thinking About a Mortgage Default? Beware The Taxes Due
CBS MoneyWatch.com (blog)
That's the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act (otherwise known as “The Don't Kick 'Em When They're Down Act”). But it doesn't apply to every mortgage. ...


Google News

home | site map
Copyright 2009 - All Rights Reserved Net-resources.org