Looking for Some Fatuous Debt Consolidation Help?

A Credit Article Contributed by Mark Mcclelland

There's Nothing Like a Little Help When It Comes to Debt Consolidation

So you've decided it's time to help yourself out a little bit with a strong does of debt consolidation, have you? That's great... And at the risk of sounding just a tad fatuous, the first step on your road to financial stability is dealing with that mountain of debt you've managed to accumulate over the past - how many years has it been.

And there are basically two ways to go about consolidating your debts: you can research the various options available, choose the one best suited to your needs, plan your program and take the time and effort required to put the plan into action, working with your various creditors, and hoping that they'll agree with your plan. Or, you can use one of the many consumer-counseling organizations to help you develop a debt consolidation plan, and put that plan into action.

There are actually quite a number of both for-profit and non-profit organizations whose sole purpose in being is to help folks just like you put debt consolidation plans in place that bulldoze that mountain down to a manageable size, if not eliminate it altogether.

Where Can You Get Help with Your Debt Consolidation Efforts?

If you had to choose between for-profit organizations and not-for-profit organizations for help, and could be assured that the results of your debt consolidation plans would be the same regardless of the type you picked, which type would you go for? Well, the not-for-profit ones of course. And there are some really good one's out there, including both sectarian and non-sectarian ones.

These debt consolidation organizations, in general, all operate the same way to help you get out of debt. First they work with you to develop a tentative plan whereby most, if not all, of your unsecured debt (meaning your credit card debt) will be consolidated into one single (larger) debt - from your perspective at least.

They also work directly with your creditors to ensure that the plan meets with their approval as well, and they can usually get your creditors to reduce or eliminate fees and late charges, and sometime even reduce the amount you owe. Once a plan has been agreed to by all parties, you make the agreed upon monthly payment to credit counseling service, and they, in turn, disburse the monies to your various creditors.

In this way you, the counseling service, and your creditors are all assured that appropriate payments would be made on a timely basis... a win for all parties involved.

Several organizations are listed here:

Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc.

5701 West Sunrise Blvd.,

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33313

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta

100 Edgewood Avenue, Suite 1800

Atlanta, GA 30303

American Consumer Credit Counseling

130 Rumford Ave., Suite 202

Newton, MA 02466

Christian Credit Counselors,

5838 Edison Place, Ste 200

Carlsbad, CA 92008.

Is Debt Consolidation Really Going to Help Your Situation?

Not unless you think that having a nice, good, clean, credit report is of any value. Just think of all the benefits, not just financial - a-la credit reports - but personal as well.

Less stress, freedom from creditors calling you during dinner, $0 balance monthly credit card statements, a happy spouse, the knowledge that you can now pay for your gizmo purchases in cash, now that you actually have cash to spend....

Then there are the actual financial benefits, like the ability to apply for and get that new home loan without having to worry about the income-to-debt ratio, and having a credit report so clean that all of your neighbors would be jealous of if they just knew...

Go on, admit it, it would be sweet indeed, wouldn't it? Well, what's holding you up?