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What is Credit counseling – A Complete Guide
We all know how advantageous it is to have a credit card by our side. You not only get rewards for using it, but it doesn?t need any amount in your bank account while you are using it. The credit card concept is that you can use the credit card to buy things you like and get a certain tenure to pay up your bills.
You can even see credit as bank loans without any rate of interest. However, in the recent study, it has been seen that most of the American households have a mean $5000 debt on their credit bills. Well, that is a situation that you must avoid. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, you need credit counseling.
What Is Credit Counseling?
Credit counseling is a professional service that helps people come out of their credit card debts. The counseling starts with financial consultation. The counselor reviews your financial standing and goes through your financial flow to find tailor-made solutions.
If you are not able to pay off your debt, the counselor also helps you by enrolling you in a Debt Management Plan. In this case, credit counseling agencies will act like middlemen and communicate with the clients and the creditors. The counselor comes up with payment plans that satisfy both parties.
How Can Credit Counseling Help You?
Credit counseling is all about getting the right counseling for your credit plans and coming up with a payment plan that helps pay off your loans. Here are the services that you can enjoy with credit counseling.
1. General Budgeting
It is a free counseling session where you talk with your counselor about your finances. You place every detail on the table to ensure that your current situation is clear in the eyes of your counselor. At the end of the session, you and your counselor come to an agreement on how to further credit counseling can benefit you.
2. Debt Management Plan
After going through your debts, the counselor comes with a Debt Management plan which consists of several payment plans with low-interest rates. You can choose any of the payment plans to pay your debts on a monthly basis and eventually pay off your debts.
3. Bankruptcy Plan
If you have a business and your loan is related to business finances, your counselor can help you reduce your business loans by Bankruptcy plan.
4. Student Loan Counseling
In this service, repayment options are discussed on how you can facilitate your student loans and what payment plan perfectly goes with your current financial situations.
5. Housing Counseling
Whether you’re having trouble paying up your rent or paying the monthly installment of your new homes, credit counselors can help you with the right payment plans.
How Does Credit Counseling Work?
Credit counseling is a non-profit service offered by non-profit organizations. They offer their help to clear your path and offer a roadmap to eliminate your debt. Their services vary depending on what type of debt you have.
Budget Analysis
Your credit counselor will ask you several questions and go through your finances. This includes the followings:
- Incomes.
- Bills.
- Loan payment.
- Entertainment bills.
- And other expenditures.
They will simply look at the flow of the money and ensure that the flow of the money is in the right direction. If they find that something can be changed or omitted from your finances, they will ask you to do so.
Once the credit counselor has a full idea about your finances, they will begin with what they think of your finances and suggest plans to eliminate all the accrued loans.
Credit Report
Once the budget analysis is completed, next comes the credit report. The counselor will have a look at your credit score and how well you have been managing in the last couple of years. This service can be beneficial for you, as they can suggest your solution to boost your credit score.
Debt Management Plan
Debt Management Plan sees your debts like personal loans and comes with a plan to pay off your debt. When you enter into a debt management plan, the credit counseling agency will help you get a better deal with the payment plans.
The credit counseling agency will ask the creditors to lower the payments. The best part of this plan is that it allows you to have a single debt management plan for all your debts.
Remember, a debt management plan doesn?t lower your debts; it just comes up with a better plan to allow you to pay all your debt with better consideration – which means you get lower monthly payments, lower interest, and lower late fees.
Final Thoughts
There you have it; now you know what Credit counseling is and how it can help you. While you are out there looking for the best debt counseling services, remember that the best services are all about how personalized they can be.
Fortunately, the credit counselor belongs to a non-profit organization, and hence, consulting with them will not cost you anything. The only cost you have to pay is when you avail of their services.
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