Tackle your debt with a credit card counseling service
When you don’t know what to do about your credit card debt, a credit card counseling service can offer helpful advice, proven strategies, and financial education to take back control of your finances.
If you’re carrying high credit card balances, you’re not alone. The average American household has a whopping $8,000 in credit card debt. Many people simply don’t know how to manage that much debt and can’t see their way to a debt-free future. A credit card counseling agency can help you understand your options, change the behavior that led you into debt in first place, and make a plan to pay off your debt.
American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) offers free credit counseling and low-cost debt management plans that have been a lifeline to consumers nationwide. With ACCC’s credit card counseling service, you can finally tackle your financial issues and relieve the stress of carrying high credit card balances.
What to expect from a credit card counseling service
When you contact a non-profit credit card counseling service, you can expect a free credit counseling session and access to low-cost credit card debt services. At your first meeting with a credit counselor, you’ll review your financial situation as well as the events or habits that led you into debt. Your counselor will review your income and expenses and help you create a budget that will help you pay off your debt over time.
As part of our credit card counseling services, you’ll learn about the variety of strategies for paying off debt and for avoiding debt in the future. Your counselor will help you understand the pros and cons of debt management, debt settlement, debt consolidation, bankruptcy, and other strategies. Your counselor will also help you determine which approach is right for your situation and make a plan for managing your credit card debt.
ACCC: credit counseling, debt management, financial education
ACCC is a non-profit agency that specializes in credit card debt counseling, debt management, and financial education for people just like you. Our certified and professionally trained counselors are experts in the world of consumer credit card debt. They can connect you with options and resources that will start you on the path to a debt-free future.
Over the past three decades, our credit card counseling service and debt management program have helped thousands of individuals and families to pay off their debt and develop the healthy financial habits that let them avoid getting into debt again.
In addition to a credit card counseling service, we also offer:
- Free credit counseling. Our credit counselors can assist you with all your financial needs and help you develop a plan of action for any financial situation.
- Debt management programs. With a debt management plan, you won’t have to take out additional loans or ruin your credit rating as you pay off your debt.
- Bankruptcy counseling. We offer the mandated pre-filing bankruptcy counseling session and the post-bankruptcy debtor education course required to have your bankruptcy discharged.
- Student loan counseling. We’ll help you understand all your options for dealing with student debt, regardless of how much you owe or whether your loans are delinquent or in default.
- Housing services. We offer reverse mortgage counseling, foreclosure prevention counseling, and homebuyer education and certification classes.
The benefits of a debt management plan
Debt management plans are one of the credit counseling services provided by ACCC. For many individuals and families, a debt management program is the most effective way to pay off debt over time while developing the financial habits to avoid debt in the future.
In a debt management plan, you’ll work with your credit counselor to establish a realistic budget that will let you pay down your debt each month – without asking you to make unsustainable sacrifices. Then, instead of making individual payments to your various creditors each month, you’ll simply make one payment to ACCC, and our team will take responsibility to pay your creditors for you.
There are several benefits to this approach. With just one payment to make, you’ll feel less stressed about your finances and you’ll be able to make your payment on time each month. And while working with your creditors, we can approach them to ask for reductions in your interest rates, finance charges, and fees. We may also seek to change the terms of your account, giving you more time to pay off your debt and lowering your monthly payment.
Under a debt management plan, most consumers are able to get out of debt within 36 to 60 months.
Why choose credit card counseling services from ACCC?
With ACCC’s credit card counseling services, you can count on:
- A free credit card counseling session to discuss your situation and make a budget
- Low-cost debt management plans with fees that are among the lowest in the nation
- Help from expert credit counselors who are certified and professionally trained to assist with a wide range of financial issues
- The experience of a reputable agency with a 30-year track record in the non-profit credit counselling industry
- Convenient services offered six days a week in person and over the phone
- Bilingual services available for Spanish-speaking consumers
- Exceptional customer service provided by a staff that cares about you and is dedicated to helping you achieving your financial goals
- Free educational tools and materials that can help you develop healthy financial habits
FAQs: What is a credit card counseling service?
What is a credit card counseling service?
A credit card counseling service provides consumers with expert advice on how to manage and pay off credit card debt. Certified credit counselors can offer consumers a variety of strategies and resources while helping to develop a plan to address financial issues.
Why choose a non-profit credit counseling service?
A non-profit credit counseling agency is a mission-driven organization that provides services at no charge or with very low fees. In contrast, for-profit debt relief agencies often charge significant fees for their services. Non-profit agencies also financial education to help consumers improve their knowledge of personal finance and develop healthy financial habits. And while for-profit firms recommend strategies that may leave consumers more deeply in debt or with a ruined credit rating, non-profit agencies recommend sound strategies to pay off debt over time that also preserve or rebuild a credit rating.
