Credit Counseling "What Should I Look For"

A New Horizon is a well established Credit Counseling company with over 14 years experience as a non-profit organization assisting individuals and families from all walks of life in regaining control of their finances. This is accomplished utilizing Financial Literacy training and a host of programs to counsel and educate individuals on the responsible use of credit along with a structured debt management plan to assist them in paying off their existing debt.

A large number of consumers have a lot of credit card debt and bad credit. These consumers will have trouble fixing their debt problems on their own. This is where credit counseling can help. It is available across the country to help people confront their bad credit and debt problems. One thing to realize is NOT all credit counseling companies are the same. There are some steps consumers can do to find a reputable credit counseling company:

First, make sure a company's counselors are "certified" credit counselors and second, you can talk to the Better Business Bureau, state attorney general and local consumer protection groups that receive complaints against credit counseling agencies and make them available to the public. If the credit counseling company has many complaints that are unanswered or unresolved then staying away from them would be a wise thing. Third, ask the payment structure of the debt program; it is important to ask what the program will cost you in fees, and to ask questions to make sure payments get to creditors on time.

Consumers should beware of open promises like: we CAN lower monthly payments 60% and we CAN remove items from your credit report. Reputable credit counseling companies will NOT make these claims. When selecting a credit counseling company be sure that the company offers financial literacy including teaching you budgeting techniques and providing financial education to assist consumers with the goal of getting out of credit card debt.

If you would like more information on Financial Literacy, learning how to track spending, setting aside money for emergencies, and how credit counseling may help you with your credit card debt, contact Stuart Lieberman at (800) 556-1548 Extension 1126 or at slieberman@anewhorizon.org. A New Horizon -- http://www.anewhorizon.org

About The Author Stu Lieberman has been in the Credit Counseling and Debt Consolidation business for over 14 yrs writing articles and information for several sites.