So how exactly do you know when it’s time to seek out help? Well essentially there are 3 stages of recovery that you should think about. Stage 1 is self-help. Your credit card and other debts are in such a way that you can essentially take care of it yourself through using credit elimination tactics (more on those later) and making small, logical decisions on how to save money and pay off debts. Stage 2 is when your debts become unmanageable and you decide you need outside help; that’s where credit counseling agencies come into play. Stage 3 is when even your outside help doesn’t know what to do and your only logical recourse is to file for bankruptcy.
It is probably time to go to credit counseling if you can’t control your debt. If you can’t make your payments or you know you can’t pay off your credit card debt without help, you need this type of counseling. Don’t be afraid to answer your phone because it may be collectors calling. Don’t struggle to pay all your bills. Don’t accept that you will be in debt the rest of your life. Go to credit counseling.
Going to this type of counseling is better than living in fear, in debt, or filing for bankruptcy. Credit counselors may be able to negotiate with credit card companies and get interest lowered or late fees forgiven. It is not guaranteed, but you can certainly try to find a counselor that can do so. A credit counselor will also help you figure out a budget after they look at how much you make, how much your debt is, and how much your utility bills are. Following a counselor’s advice and sticking to a budget is really important when trying to get out of debt. It may be difficult, but you will have an amazing feeling when you have no more credit card debt.
Credit counselors are not there to judge you, it is their job to help you. Get counseling recommendations from your bank, credit card companies, or a friend. Make sure a credit counselor is certified. You want a professional that knows exactly what they are doing.
Seeking credit counseling is a huge step to recovering from credit card debt. It is the right thing to do if you have gotten in way over your head. Living in debt is not fun and credit counseling can help you.
That being said, if your debt is actually manageable then you could just be wasting a lot of money by hiring a debt settlement or debt counseling company. Before you ultimately decide you should be sure to read this book all the way though. At the end of the book, the last section focuses on methods that you can use to improve your debt situation and take control of your debt without having to contact a debt counseling service or debt settlement company. In the long run it could save you a lot of money!
