If your finances are getting out of hand and you don't know what to do, credit counselling is probably the best thing for you to do. There are many organisations, some of which are not-for-profit, that can help you figure out what's going on with your money and how to solve the problems you're facing in the best way. Now, not all debt counselling is free, and some credit counsellors even charge very high fees. You should carefully look into the organisations that might be able to help you and choose the one that has the services and help you need the most.
Credit counselling should be done in person, not over the phone or the Internet, for the best results. When you meet in person, it's easier to talk about your needs and figure out what choices you have. Face-to-face communication has a lot going for it. When words are written down, subtleties and nonverbal cues are lost, making it much more likely that someone will misunderstand. The credit counsellor should be able to give you a range of tools and services to help you manage your debt and consolidate your debt that are best for you. If you ask around, you'll probably find someone who has used debt counselling services in your area. The best way to find out how a business works is to hear about it from someone you know. You can also find out about local debt management offices by asking your local chamber of commerce or better business bureau. One important thing to do if you are looking at organisations you haven't been told about specifically is to try to get as much free information about them and their services as they will give you without giving them much information about yourself. Your personal situation shouldn't be talked about until you've found the service provider you're likely to hire. Don't put your personal information out there for everyone to see.
A good debt counselling service will not only give you advice on how to deal with your current debt, such as whether or not you should consider debt consolidation or bankruptcy, but they will also give you tools and solutions to help you manage your money in the future. Some of these tools and solutions are educational materials, workshops, and worksheets for budgeting.
Any credit counsellor you hire should be licenced and have specific training in consumer credit, managing money and debt, and making budgets. By finding someone with this kind of specialisation and training, you can be sure that they can help you not only with your immediate needs, but also in a way that lets you make a long-term plan to avoid making the same mistakes you've already made.
