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Date June 27, 2009

Debt Laden Consumers Find Ready Help With Credit Counselors

Saddled with financial burdens ranging from home loans to credit card debts, American consumers are now frantically looking for the best and the quickest way to get out of debt and repay loans. Otherwise, they face the unenviable prospect of declaring bankruptcy or losing their homes.

Debt Laden Consumers Find Ready Help With Credit CounselorsThe problem is that some American consumers just don’t know where to turn to. Many of them recognize that getting themselves out of their financial dilemma needs more skill than what they have. They just don’t know where to turn to for the particular set of skills that they need.

One particular helpful group of people who can help American consumers untangle their finances are the credit counselors. Credit counselors are people who specialize in helping the average American consumer burdened with debt to find ways to make paying off their debts easier.

Michelle Jones, senior vice president of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta says, “We help consumers create a lean, sustainable budget that will support the family’s housing costs”.

In fact, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta is just one of the many credit counseling groups across the U.S. who are helping American consumers get their financial act together and keep themselves afloat amidst the threat of debts, loans and the current economic depression.

Credit counseling groups have plenty to offer debt-ridden American consumers. A visit to a credit counselor will usually mean a full review of the consumer’s debts, income and expenses. By analyzing their client’s financial details, credit counselors can form an exact financial picture and see where money is leaking out and where money can be saved. They can then suggest ways for the client to save up and get their finances back on track.

Another important service that credit counseling groups offer their clients are loan modifications and debt payment plan negotiations. These offers often depend on how good the monthly income of the client is. Usually, the higher the monthly income, the better the chances for a client to have a loan or debt renegotiated.

With the current economic climate, getting out of debt is a major priority for every American consumer. Credit counseling groups offer one of the most helpful and genuine credit help services for them. Credit counselors often offer very low costs for their services. However, like any financial arrangement, American consumers should first check if the group that they are dealing with is actually legitimate.

Date June 10, 2009

Professional Debt Management Options For Debt Laden Consumers

In these days of financial insecurity, American consumers are doing their best to balance out their finances. They are trying to make sure that they have enough savings or credit to their name in case a serious emergency should come up. Unfortunately, with the economic crisis hardly slowing pace, massive layoffs, rising unemployment and debt interest rates soaring to record levels, that is proving to be very difficult. What makes it even more difficult is that many of these American consumers are also carrying heavy debts.

Professional Debt Management Options For Debt Laden Consumers Getting rid of debt is, without a doubt the first step for anyone who wants to balance out their finances. The monthly interest and penalty fees by themselves can already ruin a budget. There are many ways to get out of debt. Consumers usually go with the “do-it-yourself” or DIY approach. However, there are many things to be said about seeking the help of professionals. While a DIY approach can work, a professional often has more experience and access to information and resources that a normal consumer does not have.

Here are three professional options that debt laden consumers can access to get a handle on their debts.

Credit Counseling

Credit counseling is where consumers should first seek out help for debt problems. When consumers go for credit counseling, the counselor takes a look not only at their debts but on their whole financial picture. Spending habits, payment habits, monthly expenses, monthly income and many other details are taken into consideration when a credit counselor creates a financial picture of a consumer. By doing this, the counselor can then help the consumer formulate a workable setup for debt payments. Counselors can also negotiate with lenders for consumers to give them better debt payment arrangements.

Debt Consolidation

For consumers who have multiple debts, debt consolidation may be the best solution for them. In debt consolidation, consumers take out a large loan which can cover all their other debts. The end result is that the consumers reduce their multiple debts into one debt. Debt consolidation can also mean better interest rates and lower monthly payments for consumers, provided they shop around for options and choose wisely.

Debt Settlement

Debt settlement is a type of debt management service wherein the debt settlement negotiates for a better monthly payment setup for their consumers. According to debt settlement advocates, the service can settle debts much faster than other debt management services. They even claim that debt settlement companies can arrange for the consumer’s debt to be lowered by an appreciable percentage.

Debt settlement is a hot topic in the financial world nowadays. There has been some controversy over shady debt settlement offers that ended up costing the consumer more. However, this does not mean that all debt settlement companies are questionable. Consumers looking for reliable debt settlement companies are advised to make sure that the debt settlement company that they choose is affiliated with the proper authorities.

Date May 14, 2009

The Dangers of Debt Settlement Companies

The Dangers of Debt Settlement CompaniesIf you are one of the many Americans who have found themselves having to deal with large debts, then you probably have given some thought on getting help from debt settlement companies.

If you do not know this yet, debt settlement companies offer help for people with debt problems. Usually, they negotiate with credit companies to give their customers a lower monthly payment rate or to write off a part of their debts. It may seem like a good deal but the reality of the matter is actually less comforting.

A credit counselor from The Village Family Service Center in Fargo says, “Most of the time, it doesn’t work out very well.”

Unfortunately, the current economic situation offers a great market for those who want to make quick money out of debt settlement schemes. Some are even frauds that just take money without really helping their clients. Others are newcomers to the industry and are not capable of offering a good deal to their clients and may actually make matters worse for them.

Companies that offer debt settlement are also known as debt arbitrators or debt negotiators. Debt settlement companies are usually ‘for pay’ companies. Most of the time, their clients have to pay a considerable sum even before their debt arrangements are actually changed. Some debt settlement companies can also ruin their clients’ long term credit.

As more and more Americans go into debt, debt settlement companies are seeing a rise in demand for their services. Critics are also becoming more vocal in their condemnation of the shady practices of some debt settlement companies. Even the debt settlement industry itself sees and acknowledges these practices.

President of The Association of Settlement Companies, Chris Kesterson had this to say, “There are bad actors in our industry. There are bad actors in every industry.” Kesterson also serves as chief executive of Debt Settlement America, a debt settlement outfit based in Dallas. Chris Kesterson’s association boasts 155 members.
Although acknowledging the grimier side of the debt settlement industry, Kesterson also state that debt settlement companies that have the proper experience and competence are also working in the industry. These companies offer solutions to people with deep debt problems, especially when no other option is available.

If you are one of those who are looking into debt settlement as a solution to your debt problems, the best thing that you can do is to research the background of the company that you plan on seeking help from. Beware of companies that are not forthcoming when you ask them questions. You should also ask around and listen to the advice of people who have used debt settlement companies before. If you plan on approaching a new company, make sure that they have experienced people working for them. However, you are probably best served by a company that has been in the business for a long time and has a long list of previous clients.