Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Credit Repair via Credit Counseling

By Rob Kosberg

You may come to the decision that going through repairing your own credit is not something that you can complete without some outside help. There is no shame in having to locate some help because of your emotional reactions or poor money management ability.

When you explore outside agencies, you will immediately notice that there is a plethora of credit repair companies promising you the moon and the stars. Sure, credit repair in 24 hours sounds great, but you can be sure that it's not going to happen. This kind of claim can be easily dismissed. Also, the internet will offer to have several agencies contact you. They will (in 5 months) and/ or they will make some possibly nasty phone calls to you. Avoid these offers.

This third party choice will require some sleuthing on your part before you can comfortably make a selection. Comparison shopping skills are in order for this venture. Before you make your choice you need to ask some questions.

Initially, you want to contact agencies to get an idea of what services are offered, time frames, rates and any other financial help available. Some of the agencies will ask for your financial information before they will provide agency information. Avoid these agencies. The basic information is a must.

Information about services provided, cost structure and time frames should be provided to you without any knowledge on the company's part regarding your financial situation.

Once you are satisfied with an initial contact, you can ask further questions such as how the procedure will affect your credit reports, how the agency provides assistance with debt management, how does the agency inform you of their activities and does the company offer other money management services.

A very important bit of information that you need to know will be fees for the agency service. There are agencies that ask for big sums of money to initiate the service in addition to a large monthly fee. If you can't pay your debts now, how will you pay exorbitant fees? Beware of becoming involved with a process that is extended over a long time because of fees, even if the agency says it is nonprofit.

Using credit agencies requires effort on your part, but you should be able to find a reputable agency to partner with you, and have your interest at the forefront.

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