Working with a credit card debt consolidation company.
For consumers carrying a lot of credit card debt, a credit card debt consolidation company can seem very appealing.
In theory, consolidating credit card debt helps both to simplify finances and pay your debt off faster. By consolidating multiple balances into a single new loan, you have just one payment to make each month, improving your ability to make payments on time. And by working with a credit card debt consolidation company to get a loan with a lower interest rate, you should be able to reduce your monthly payment or pay your debt off faster while saving on interest.
In practice, however, choosing a credit card debt consolidation company may not be the best way to get credit card debt help. The typical credit card debt consolidation company is a for-profit, and many charge significant fees for their services. And if you haven’t yet addressed the reasons you got into debt in the first place, turning to a credit card debt consolidation company may only be postponing the necessary steps to get out of debt for good.
ACCC: an alternative to a credit card debt consolidation company.
American Consumer Credit Counseling is a nonprofit debt counseling agency that offers a different path to a debt-free future. We offer a free credit counseling service and low-cost debt management services that can help individuals and families take back control of their financial situation and learn to live life without debt. Since 1991, our debt counseling services have helped thousands of consumers nationwide to pay off debt and learn to manage money more efficiently to avoid debt in the future.
Unlike a credit card debt consolidation company, ACCC provides access to highly trained and certified credit counselors who can help you look at a variety of ways of paying off debt and determine which option offers the most benefits. Those options may include social service referrals, bankruptcy counseling, government debt consolidation programs for student loans, a debt management program, and other financial strategies.
Avoid a credit card debt consolidation company with a debt management program.
For many consumers, a debt management program is a more efficient way of paying down debt than working with a credit card debt consolidation company. With debt management, you consolidate monthly payments rather than consolidating credit card balances. Each month, you make one payment to a special fund, and our team at ACCC takes care of paying your creditors on time. We also contact your creditors to seek reductions in fees and to possibly re-age your accounts, helping you to save money and pay your debts off faster. Most consumers working with a debt management program can get out of debt in 60 months or less.
Learn more about the pros and cons of a credit card debt consolidation company.
