Ultimately, the key to building good credit and in maintaining a good credit score is to know how to manage your finances. However, when you have problems doing this alone, there s noting to worry about because there are professionals who can help you. One of the things a wise borrower should do is to seek help when he can no longer handle his credit.
If you are having troubles related to debts, you should not hesitate in asking credit counselors to help you out. There are many people who experience the same financial problems as you do. And the greatest mistake you can do is to avoid solving these problems until they pile up.
There s nothing to be scared of or ashamed of when you approach credit counselors. These professionals are equipped with the knowledge about money management, consumer credit, debt management and budgeting. They guarantee that when they sit with you to discuss your entire financial situation, they will be able to devise a doable plan with your cooperation.
This would seem all well, and it is only if you are certain to be asking from reputable companies that offer credit counseling needs. How can you make sure that you are entrusting your financial problems to people who can really help you, and not just to another person who has no other intentions but to make money out of your misery? Here is a checklist to a reputable credit counseling company:
Free information
If you come across a credit counseling company that charges you registration fees before they explain what exactly they offer, then you should consider looking around a little bit more. Most reputable credit counseling companies will give out free information about the services they offer, and a general background about its establishment. More than that, you should not be disclosing any of your financial worries to them until you are sure that they can help you.
Clean Records
One way you can be sure about the credit counseling company you are eyeing is to check it out with the Attorney General, local consumer protection agency or Better Business Bureau. These offices can tell you whether the company is legitimate and whether or not previous complaints have been made against it. On the other hand, you can also pay the United States Trustee Program and find out if the company belongs to the list of credit counseling agencies approved to provide pre bankruptcy counseling.
Questions Answered
When your little investigation tells you that your credit company is indeed legitimate, then it s your turn to ask them questions. Ask about the services they offer. You would want to hear a variety of services. Try to avoid companies that would only suggest debt management plan for you. You should learn how to make a budget and build a financial plan too. Ask about how they let you access information. There are companies out there who provide educational materials for free, and those who charge. Ask about long term solutions to your financial problems. Finally, ask about how much they would charge, the qualifications of the counselors, security of the information you would disclose and contracts, if any.
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This article has been provided by http://www.free-credit-reports.com , where you can compare credit report and identity theft protection services with this comprehensive chart of all credit report and credit score service providers.
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