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Credit and Debt Counseling

Credit and debt counselors advice people on how to improve their credit and economic situations. Debt counselors help people to understand where their money is going, how they are being charged with interest, and the best ways to knock out their bills. They will sometimes mediate with debtors to help reduce what a person owes. Credit counselors will look at payment histories, credit scores and reports, and overall debt to help a person make a plan to raise their credit scores.

450 Questions

What is a reliable credit counseling agency?

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Asked by Wiki User

There are a number of reliable credit counseling agencies that are reviewed very well online. Some reliable credit counseling agencies are CareOne, Springboard, American Consumer Credit Counseling and American Financial Solutions.

Where can one find a free credit counseling service?

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Asked by Wiki User

"There are a number of online sites that offer this service. Of the sites I found, Advantage Credit Counseling Services is free and puts you in touch with the proper person based on how you answer a few questions."

Does credit counseling hurt your credit report?

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Asked by Wiki User

AnswerWhen you are undergoing credit counseling, some of your creditors may contact the credit bureaus and put a notation on your credit card report signifying you are going through credit counseling. This notation is neutral and does not affect your credit score in any way. Once you finish the credit counseling, this notation is removed from your credit report. Answeryes it does show up. also just a pointer when you go to geta loan and a banker or a loan officer looks at it it is a very bad thing to have it on your credit report. we lokk at it and see it as you can not mannage money well so why would we want to loan you money.

What are the advantages of consumer credit counseling as a way of getting free from debt?

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Asked by Wiki User

In general, when dealing with a non-profit credit counseling service their services are going to be free or low cost which can be a huge benefit to the consumer. The assumption would be that the non-profit is more interested in helping you than in making themselves a profit. They are still required to abide by all other laws and regulations that govern businesses. However, they can be run as efficiently, or as poorly, as any other organization. When searching for a non-profit you can look for the same accreditation from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau, etc. Most non-profits have websites that can be found online. You can tell by the website name which almost always ends with .org (which stands for "organization") rather than .com (which means "commercial").

A non-profit status for an agency does not mean they do not make a profit. It means the profit they make is used to fund their ability to provide more services to the public. The surplus money does not go into the pockets of its shareholders or management. Having a non-profit status means they are certified by the government as non-profit and therefore exempt from paying taxes. The reason they are granted that status is because they are providing services to the public that the government would otherwise be providing or paying for. The government is willing to make them tax-exempt because they are actually saving money for the services they do not have to provide. Non-profits provide benefits to the public and they are usually the first place you turn if you have an emergency and need food, shelter, clothing, education, or medical care. The American Red Cross is a good example of a non-profit agency.

When checking out a non-profit's website be as careful as you would with any other organization. Scan their home page; search for other organizations they are affiliated with; and search for national organizations from which they are accredited. Look for many articles that explain or educate you about credit counseling and their services. If you are educated before you contact them, their job is easier and so is yours. A list of approved credit counseling agencies by state and judicial district is available on the U.S. Trustee Program website and will also tell you where to take the courses to prepare for bankruptcy. To help you choose an approved credit counseling agency, the Federal Trade Commission offers facts for consumers that provide helpful suggestions for finding the best counselor for you. They also offer a list of "must do" items for anyone who is on a debt management plan most of which are appropriate for anyone in credit counseling.

There are some for-profit business that offer non-profit debt consolidation. CreditGUARD of America, Inc. is an independent, non-profit credit counseling agency that provides debt counseling to consumers throughout the United States. The agency you choose does not have to be local to you, but if you do not have ready access to a computer it should be.

Where can a consumer find non profit credit counseling in the Toronto area?

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Asked by Wiki User

When looking for credit repair counseling in Toronto, it is advisable to first see the Ontario Association of Credit Counselling Services, or, OACCS, who set the standards for the qualifications and hold a database of approved counselors. Another useful organisation is the 'Financial Consumer Agency of Canada'.

Where can one find advice on credit improvement?

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Asked by Wiki User

The best, but little known resource for credit improvement can be found at Family Credit, a fully accredited credit counseling non profit organization based out of the United States. If you qualify for their services, Family Credit will work with your past creditors to lower your fees and improve your credit score. Family Credit receives an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, the leading consumer review organization in the United States.

Where would one find consumer credit counselors?

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Asked by Wiki User

The most popular place for one to get a consumer counseling credit would be at American Consumer Credit Counseling. There are many types of businesses that offer credit counseling including Money Management and Debt Counseling Corp.

Where can one find information about Credit Counselors of America?

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Asked by Wiki User

The American Consumer Credit Counseling company can be found at 130 Rumford Avenue, Suite 202, Auburndale, Massachusetts, 02466-1371. They offer a number of services including credit counseling and debt management programs.

How much money does a debt counselor make per year?

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Asked by Wiki User

The income of a mental health counselor (as opposed to a psychiatrist) depends largely on the position, which in turn may depend on the individual's level of education. In general, salaried counselors might make from ~ $25,000 US (entry level) to $60,000 for a PhD with lots of clinical experience and a good reputation. Anything above that would almost certainly be an administrative position.

What companies offer credit counseling and debt consolidation services?

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Asked by Wiki User

Founded in 1951, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) continues to grow and provide free credit counseling. NFCC is a non profit organisation that provides free or low cost individualized, confidential counsil crediting in person, by phone or by email

How do you become a debt counselor?

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Asked by Wiki User

You would need to have some accounting or credit training. You would probably need to have an associates degree in business or finance. The company could train the right person so you may not need any prior education or experience.

Where can one find information about non profit credit consolidation?

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Asked by Wiki User

Researching information regarding non profit credit counselling has provided little information. The National Foundation for Credit Counselling site appears to have some very good information regarding this topic. They are known to represent a number of agencies that provide free or low cost credit counselling.

When would a consumer credit counselling service be used?

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Asked by Wiki User

Someone would use a consumer credit counseling service if they are finding it hard to pay down the debt that they have and still live with out creating more debt. The service would help you come up with different options and find the best payback option for you.

How does credit counseling impact credit score?

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Asked by Wiki User

AnswerOnce you employ the use of a credit counselor a notation to that effect is made on your credit score. This, in itself, is a neutral notation and does not affect your credit score. It is the credit score which determines your credit worthiness but there are some creditors who will view this notation in a negative aspect. Most creditors will look only at the credit scores, but whether credit counseling helps or hurts your credit depends on how an individual creditor views credit counseling. AnswerIndirectly.

A credit counselor will work with you to help you reduce your debt and manage your financial life more effectively. Beware fly-by-night operations that scam people out of money under the guise of financial management.

Reducing your debt and maintaining financial control over your life will help your credit in the long run.

How does Christian debt counseling differ from traditional debt counseling?

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Asked by Wiki User

While traditional debt counseling usually cost money, being paid to the organization and/or person that is providing their time to you. In Christian debt counseling, you can get invited to sessions of financial education, all for free. They are a non-profit debt relief organization.

What does the Credit Guard service offer?

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Asked by Wiki User

The Credit Guard of America offers many different services for customers. In particular, it offers credit counseling, debt consolidation, and debt management services.

Where can one get a free credit check?

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Asked by Wiki User

A free credit check can be obtained at a debt counseling center. If you have bad credit, they can help you get back on track to raise or keep your credit rating with budgeting help.

What should be doing to rectify my cibil score as my credit card got rejected?

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Asked by Amankapoorgp9598

CIBIL is a bureau who gives you a credit rating between 300 and 900. 300 being the lowest and 900 is the highest score which you can get.

To avail a loan or a credit card you need to have minimum 750 score. If your CIBIL score is below 750 there are high chances that your enquiry will get rejected.

To improvise your cibil score you need to concentrate on the below important parameters :

1 Payment History

This section talks about your past credit utilisation and repayment and negative remarks, this needs to be tracked so that no errors happen on this section of report. This is the most important parameter for Bureau score calculation.

2 Amount Owed

This parameter is for monitoring your usage pattern and outstanding on your accounts, excessive use on your assigned credit limit will hamper your score.

3 Length of Credit History

The longer history you have in your report the better your score becomes, please ensure you do not close any active credit card.

4 New Credits

Taking too many new credit facility in short time span proves you to be credit hungry, so do not apply for a loan or credit card if it is not absolutely necessary.

5 Credit Mix (Secured & unsecured)

Your credit history should have a good mix of unsecured and secured credits, and high secured credits compared to unsecured are good for you.

6 Overdue amounts

If you can restrict all your accounts from being overdue all the above five parameters are taken care off, so no overdue account is equal to good credit health.

7 Debt burden ratio

This section talks about the total emi burden you can afford basis your current earnings, this keeps on changing as per your income.

8 Income and Expense ratio

It is very important to have a positive income to expense ratio as this will help you save some money which will increase your debt repayment capability and thus would impact positively on your credit health.

Following are the weigthages of these parameters on your score:

Payment history: 35%

Amounts owed: 30%

Length of credit history: 15%

How many types of credit in use: 10%

Account inquiries/New credit: 10%

Are there many legit Credit Counseling services in Cleveland?

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Asked by Wiki User

Credit counseling services are more than likely a scam in the majority of cases, which is unfortunate. In the Cleveland area, there are very few credit counseling services at all, but most of them are illegitimate.

Are there any legit credit counseling services or are all they all just looking out for themselves?

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Asked by Wiki User

My opinion: the best you're going to get is "semi-legit". They may do what they say, but only for huge fees. The industry as a whole doesn't have a good reputation due to companies no paying your bills on time and charging huge fees for the "privelege".

Where do companies get their consumer credit information?

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Asked by Wiki User

Credit bureaus, also called credit reporting agencies (CRAs), are companies that collect and maintain consumer credit information. The three major CRAs in the U.S. are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and they are all publicly traded, for-profit companiedebtredemption.

If you use a debt counseling service that consolidates your debt for you can you still make payments to your credit card company directly?

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Asked by ROB

When you use a debt counseling service that consolidates your debt for you, you are supposed to make one monthly payment to the credit counseling company instead of paying your credit card companies individually. However, if you come into some extra money and you want to make an extra payment directly to the credit card company, you may need to do some research. Once you sign a contract with your credit counseling company you'll need to abide by the terms of that agreement. Many credit counseling companies want all payments made to your credit cards to go through them. This will mean that you will need to send the extra money to the credit counseling service rather than directly to your credit card company. Another thing to think about is if you do send the funds to the credit counseling service, you might not have any control over which credit card they apply it to. You can tell them where you would like it applied, but that doesn't necessarily mean that's where they have to apply it.

How many credits for a masters counseling degree?

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Asked by Wiki User

The number of credits can vary according to institution. However, typically for this field the number of required credits can range from 33 to 40 credits.