Some Things You Should Know Before Considering
Credit Counseling or Debt Consolidation

There is one topic I write about which always seems to generate some hate mail, while at the same time spawning a flurry of praise from consumers. Of course, the hate mail is always from a few people that happen to own these “certain types” of businesses I discussed-- Credit Counseling or Debt Consolidation companies, many of which claim to be non-profit organizations. 

It's a shame, but there have been, and are, many companies which prey on people with bad credit, and who need credit repair.  So-called credit counseling is almost always a very poor strategy for the consumer who has gotten into financial trouble.

You would almost have to be an ostrich with your head stuck in the sand to not see or hear at least one advertisement a day from a Credit Counseling or Debt Consolidation Company. Since this is a topic which tends to “stir up” the owners of these businesses, I am going to take a different approach by NOT sharing my opinion, but rather, the opinion of others. I will start with the news media and the Internal Revenue Service:

From NPR News, May 15, 2006:   "The Internal Revenue Service is revoking the tax exempt status of some of the largest credit counseling agencies in the country. An IRS investigation disclosed that the firms solicited business from people seriously in debt and that they didn't provide counseling or consumer education, as required.
Prodded in part by a congressional oversight committee and consumer advocates, the IRS began investigating dozens of credit counseling agencies -- most holding non-profit status -- two years ago. IRS Commissioner Mark Everson says the companies "poisoned an entire sector of the charitable community."

Everson says in many instances, companies were organized merely to funnel business to loosely-affiliated for-profit companies. Many of the firms spend millions of dollars on commercials that urge anyone with debt to call them to solve their financial woes. In addition, because tax-exempt organizations are not bound by the federal do-not-call list, the firms were able to randomly call consumers, pitching their services under the guise of a non-profit counseling service.

The IRS investigations are also likely to affect consumers, thanks to a new bankruptcy law that requires consumers considering bankruptcy to get counseling before they are allowed to file. The IRS wants to ensure that only legitimate non-profit agencies are doing the counseling. In addition to the actions announced Monday, the IRS is sending more than 700 compliance letters to the rest of the credit counseling industry.

Since almost all Credit Counseling and Debt Consolidation companies claim a non-profit status, I feel most consumers are easily sucked in with their skepticism and defenses at bay. After all, when most of us hear the word “non-profit” the first thing we usually think of is a church or homeless shelter.

From the NPR article and the actions of the IRS, I think it’s fair to assume that many of these “non-profit” organizations have been operating under a scenario similar to that of a wolf guarding a hen house. However, this doesn’t mean all credit counseling and debt consolidation companies are bad, but you do need to know the truth about how they operate, and about their limitations.  One of those limitations is that they will, in just about every case, make a bad credit problem even worse.

The first thing you want to understand is these companies are ALL more interested in making money off you than they are in preserving your credit rating or solving your bad credit or credit repair issues. The bottom line with either credit counseling or debt consolidation is that it absolutely ruins your credit. I can just hear the companies arguing this with a consumer right now, telling them nonsense like “It helps your credit since it tells creditors that you’re working on your situation and not just running away from it.” Listen… if one of these places tells you that, then watch out!  Why? Because they will lie to you about other things as well!

One of the first actions these programs usually require you to do is for you to CLOSE all your revolving credit accounts. You then make payments to the organization and they take care of everything for you. If you've already developed a bad credit profile, this is the last thing you want to do, if you ever hope to get yourself out of trouble and start the process of credit repair. 

What this says to all your creditors (as well as anyone considering giving you credit) is that you are so out of control with your finances that you can’t even manage paying everyone back on your own. Therefore, you’re hiring someone else to do it for you!

These companies will claim they can negotiate with your creditors and get interest rates reduced, thereby saving you money. While this is true, what’s also true is you can easily negotiate these same rates as well as they can by just calling your creditors yourself. You’d be amazed at how many of your creditors would love to hear from you (especially when the chips are down!)

This brings us into a whole other dynamic of their business model. Because these companies always make their money off the monthly fees paid by the consumer, the longer they can keep those monthly fees coming in, the more profitable their business will be. It’s for this reason that most consumers who sign up with these companies usually find themselves on payment plans with the lowest monthly payment possible (which turns out to also be the LONGEST payment plan as well.)  Not surprising is it?

Am I always against Credit Counseling and Debt Consolidation companies?

Absolutely not. After all, there are millions of people in America who will never be able to manage their finances. Credit to them is a destructive addiction much like alcohol or drugs and they will never be able to control it. Instead, it will always control them.

We’ve all seen these people. Every time they are extended credit, shortly thereafter they are again in financial trouble (usually blaming it on some external factor). For these people I think these credit and debt counseling programs can be a good thing.  A ruined  or bad credit report is not a hindrance to them but actually an asset, since it may keep them out of future financial trouble by forcing them to live their lives on a “cash and carry” basis which is ultimately conducive to a better standard of living down the road.

On the other hand, if you’re good with your finances but went through some type of hardship beyond your control in the past (i.e. divorce, job loss, etc.) then the services of these companies will never be for you. You will do far better and preserve your credit rating by taking matters into your own hands.  The reason is that you understand that your credit rating is a powerful tool that can help you move ahead faster, help others, and help yourself, as well as create the life you want. It all comes down to self-management.

We all know that those who cannot manage themselves will ultimately be managed by others. Credit is no different. When you learn to manage it well, you are the master and it is the servant.

If you care about your credit and want to benefit from it in the future, then you will never rely on a credit or debt counseling service to help you get out of any trouble you find yourself in. Instead, you’ll look inward and get yourself out of trouble, while preserving your credit rating the best you can. Credit and debt counseling is for people who are “ok” with throwing their credit rating in the trash so they can have “someone else” manage their payments for them (since they are unable to manage them themselves).

And again, as far as negotiating interest rates, you can do just as good a job as the so-called credit counselors, or better. If you don’t believe me, just call any of your creditors and straight out tell them your situation. You will quickly find you don’t need to be afraid of them if you will communicate with them and not hide or run. They just want to get paid like the rest of us.  Communicating, and keeping any commitments you make regarding getting out of the hole will go a long way in getting the credit repair process going.

Our Credit Secrets Bible will teach you everything you need to know in terms of credit repair.

CreditRepairForBadCredit.com is a project of Wealth Instead, LLC. The company was founded as a vehicle to market an Internet-based debt reduction system, although over time we have started to see it in broader terms around the idea of credit, debt, and wealth in general.

Source: http://www.CreditRepairForBadCredit.com/Before-Considering-Credit-Counseling.html