Article : Why credit counseling often fails?

source : articles.moneycentral.msn.com
By Liz Pulliam Weston

MSN Money

When people are overwhelmed by debt but don't want to file for bankruptcy, I typically recommend they make two appointments:

• One with a legitimate credit counselor, preferably affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

• Another with a bankruptcy attorney.
  
  

I make the second suggestion for a number of reasons.

One is that credit counselors and their debt-management plans, which are designed to pay off credit card debt over five years or so, are geared to steer people away from bankruptcy. Consulting with a bankruptcy attorney can help ensure that those struggling with debt know all their options.

The other, even more important reason: I know that even if you desperately want credit counseling to work, it often won't.

Here are the statistics, straight from the NFCC. Of the 3.2 million people who contacted NFCC agencies for help last year:

• About one-third were able to handle their finances on their own after a counseling session.
• Another third were either too far gone for debt management plans to help, with too little income or too much debt, or had problems credit counseling couldn't help and were referred to social services agencies because of issues such as a gambling problem, alcoholism or other addiction.
• The final third enrolled in debt-management programs (DMPs), but the dropout rate averages at least 45%. ...
  

read all...

Article : Eliminate Your Debt and Effectively Manage Your Credit Score

source : ezinearticles.com
By Divya Mishra

The toughest aspect about any and every debt reduction plan is not the negotiations or the regular repayment of the debts. Instead, it is the negative impact on the credit score that is most difficult to manage.

Just as you cannot live without unsecured debt, you cannot live without your credit score. In such a scenario, it is obvious that you will have to manage both these aspects simultaneously. Managing debt relief as well as your credit report is like trying to juggle three balls at once when you have just one hand.

Holding on to a single ball is only going to hurt you more. In such a scenario, you should know how to juggle the balls effectively.

Elimination of debt by requesting your creditor for a 90% discount is, at least in theory, possible. However, what about the practical aspect? Do you think any credit card issuer will be interested in helping you out after you seek a 90% discount? Obviously not.

If you can not repay anything more than 1/10 of your debt, it is obvious that you are terrible at financial management. This information will be clearly stated in your credit report and you will find your credit score coming down drastically.

That is the reason why you should manage your debt relief program in such a manner that your debts come down even as your credit score is protected. You should go in for a reduction program that leaves you with sufficient debt that can be repaid in full.

That is to say, if you go in for 50% discount, you will have to repay the balance 50%. This means that you will have to strict towards disciplined repayment plan and fulfill your obligations very quickly.

Needless to say, this will have a huge impact on your credit score. The fact that you sought a waiver of 50% of your debt will work against you. However, the fact that you repaid 50% will definitely work in your favor.

In such a scenario, choosing the right remedy which will help you balance both these aspects is a very important task. Rather than trying to do everything on your own, it makes sense to get in touch with professionals who will advise you on the right way to negotiate and proceed.

There may be instances where card issuers may be prepared to offer a 70% discount. Going in for a 50% discount will definitely impress them that you are trying to do your best. They may even not specify that you have discharged your loan. This might even help you overcome your negative hit on the credit score.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who has over $10,000 in unsecured debt, it is time you found out about the debt settlement options available to you. Due to the current economy an overwhelming amount of people are in debt, creditors are having no choice but to agree to debt settlement deals.

News : Debt consolidation, consumer credit counseling options for improving finances

source:debtconsolidationconnection.com
By Marvin Milner on Apr 21st, 2010

When facing a troubling debt situation and dwindling finances, people may consider options like debt consolidation or consumer credit counseling.

In a recent piece for her website, personal finance expert Liz Pulliam Weston showcased a letter from a reader whose credit dropped after a foreclosure. Furthermore, the reader faced a reduction in salary after finding a new job and was curious as to how consumers in such a situation can start rebuilding their credit.

Pulliam Weston noted one option for consumers is debt consolidation. Through debt consolidation, people may be able to lower the amount of interest they pay on credit cards, which can help them get out of debt faster. ...

read all...

Link to a forum : "Consumer Credit Counseling Service and DMP"

Opening date of this forum : Nov 13 2008
( 4 posts )

Opening post of this forum :

"How is somebody with debt and expenses over their monthly income suppose to save any money. Or even budgeting for that matter. If you only paying your necessary expenses and your Credit Cards and Car loans, and have nothing or less then nothing left over, what do you do? We have 2 cars because there is no reliable or safe public transportation that can take us to work and to and from the babysitter everyday. We have internet because of work ans school. Not for entertainment.
"Karla with a K" has written some really good things on this thread. And would love her advice.
I am paying ruffly 700 dollars a month to my unsecured debt. And 500 dollars a month to secured debt. I have an appointment with CCCS on Tuesday to hopefully enter their DMP program. DO you Karla or any other person familiar with CCCS, know if they recomend me to bring all my "debt" or just the unsecured one? I am not late on my secured debt ( carloans )and the interest is low ( around 5 % ) but the payments are very steep. I could really benefit from a reduction of 300 - 400 dollars a month in debt payments. Is that even possible with CCCS?
Thanks in advance.

And to all of you who is struggling everyday to get by to suport yourself and your family. There are many of us out there and you can always come here for support. I even would suggest citydata to give financial hardship its own forum."

see this forum

Link to a forum : "Consumer Credit Counseling etc."

Last post: Feb 23 2010
(more than 26 replies)

Opening post of this forum :
"Hi ,

I'm not saying I'm going to do this, but it never hurts to consider options. Does anyone know anything about debt consolidation, consumer credit counseling, bankruptcy, and similar such programs?

DR says they are a bad idea b/c they will destroy your credit. But, I'm starting to wonder if it might be the only realistic option for us. Ironically, one reason we were able to take on so much debt is because of our good credit. Somehow we always manage to make the minimum payments and make them on time. However, if we were to move I doubt if we could get another mortgage or even qualify for a rental property because our debt to income ratio is terrible with a capital T. And I know of others who have declared bankruptcy or done some type of debt consolidation and they survived and were better off in the long run.

If the farm sells the situation will change considerably but who knows when that will happen.

Given the poor economy I don't see our income going up significantly any time in the near future. At the rate we're going we will literally have this consumer debt for the rest of our lives.

Does anyone have any ideas? "

see this forum

Link to a forum : "Advice on Debt Negotiation Service"

Last post: 10-30-2008

Opening post from this forum :
"I have recently signed up with a company called Debt Negotiation Services. I am set to make monthly payments for 48 months. Recently I've had a creditor call me and say that one of the accounts have "charged-off". I'm starting to have second thoughts about the service . I have read on CreditInfocenter.com that (most) of these companies are not worth using/trusting. Has anyone used this company or a similar one with any success?

Thanks for any help. "

see this forum

Article : Consumer Credit Counseling Service,Is This A Good Idea?

creditinfocenter.com

Q. Could you tell me about Consumer Credit Counseling Service, i.e., CCCS. How does it work? I am trying to manage my finances and restore credit. This service seems very workable. However, when the time comes (in the next year or so) that I want to borrow for a home, car, education or healthcare for my son, will my credit be worse from consolidating through such a company?

A. It would really depend on how bad your debt is. It may be the right thing for you but I don't usually recommend Consumer Credit Counseling Service unless someone is deeply in debt. It usually ruins your credit. Let me elaborate.

How CCCS works:

Consumer Credit Counseling Service talks to you to determine how much you can afford to pay each month. Then they negotiate with your creditors, getting them to accept lower monthly payments until all your debts are paid. CCCS will make you sign an agreement to not obtain any more debt until the current debt is paid off. You then make a single monthly payment. I believe the payment is made to CCCS and they pay your creditors.

read all

Article : Consumer Credit Counseling Services

From Deborah Fowles, former About.com Guide

Should You Use Them?
More and more people are turning to credit counselors to help them get out from under a mountain of debt. Some consumers are finding out the hard way, however, that not all credit counselors are created equal.

One so called "non-profit" counseling agency pockets your first month's check, which you assume is being applied to your debts, and calls it a "charitable contribution." Agencies like these may make you wary of seeking help from a consumer credit counseling agency, but if you know how to choose a reputable agency and you exercise a bit of caution, you can benefit from their services.

What Can I Expect From a Credit Counseling Agency?

Just what can you expect from a credit counseling agency? Besides providing general budgeting and money management advice to help you prevent future debt problems, they can negotiate with your creditors to get them to eliminate late fees, extend the term of your loan, or lower your interest rate. If your debt is burdensome enough, the credit counselor will encourage you to enter into a debt repayment plan requiring you to pay a set amount to the agency each month, which they then pay to your creditors.

read all

Article : Debt Consolidation and Consumer Credit Counseling

By Marjorie Salada

Debt consolidation and consumer credit counseling are both ways of eliminating your debt. Consumer credit counseling is actually a form of debt consolidation, but it does not involve a loan. Sometimes the term debt consolidation can also refer to a home equity loan that is used to pay off debt. Debt consolidation refers to a solution that consolidates your debts and allows you to make one monthly payment to cover all your debts.

A debt consolidation loan is a viable means of paying off your debt, but I do not recommend it. If you have credit card debt or are enrolled in credit counseling and do nothing, your creditors can report you to the credit bureau and make numerous collection calls, but that is about it. However, if you have a debt consolidation loan and cannot make the payments, the consequences are much more severe. Your creditor can start foreclosure proceedings on your home. Many people have debt consolidation loans, but there are better ways.

Consumer credit counseling is a form of debt consolidation, but it does not require a loan. Debt counseling is a way for people to get out of debt without incurring additional debt. A debt management agency can help you get on a plan that will help you have your unsecured debts paid off in five years or less. If it takes longer than five years, you may want to consider other debt relief options.

Your credit counselor will interact with you lenders and they will no longer be allowed to make collections calls to you as long as you follow the terms of the plan. There are many benefits to debt consolidation with a debt service. Here are just a few of the benefits you will see by consolidating with a credit counseling agency:

*Reduced and possibly eliminated interest rates
*One convenient payment each month
*No more collection calls
*No more fees
*Budgeting and financial education resources

The biggest part of being successful with a debt management plan is not getting into something that you don't think you can manage. If you are given a quote that you don't think you can handle, you are setting yourself up for failure if you accept the proposal.

Debt relief is something you need to go into with an open mind and the attitude that you are going to do what it takes to become debt free. The most difficult part of getting out of debt is recognizing that there is a problem and asking for the necessary debt help.

source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Debt-Consolidation-and-Consumer-Credit-Counseling&id=1289132

Article : Is a Credit Counseling Service a Good Option to Get Out of Debt?

By Miriam Caldwell, About.com

If you are working towards getting out of debt you may be considering using a credit counseling service to help you reach your goal. You need to be wary of credit counseling services. They may seem an easy way to solve all of your debt problems, but often they are too good to be true.

1. What Will a Credit Counseling Service Do?

When you visit a credit counseling service, a counselor will sit down with you and help you set up a budget. This will require that you cut your expenses. Next they will determine a set amount that you will pay them every month. Often they will do this with an automatic payment. After you pay this amount they will then pay each of your debts individually. ...

read all

Article : Powerful debt pay-down strategies

Friday February 29, 6:00 am ET
Jennifer Maciejewski

Is debt overwhelming your finances? If you have nightmarish visions of being surrounded by creditors, it's time to put down all credit cards, tighten the proverbial belt and start living not only within your means, but under them until you've paid back what you owe. ...read all...

Link to a forum : Dealing with Consumer Credit Counselling Service

12-08-2006, (3 posts)
First comment from this forum :

"I have an interview coming up with CCCS and need some general advice before I go ahead please.

My situatuation is I have retrained to another career (Aviation) and I am
applying like crazy to companies for positions but no success yet.

Meanwhile I am struggling to keep my head above water paying off all the debt I have built up and am trying to avoid any defaults CCJ's etc, so in summary below is what I owe and how things have gone thus far.

Currently owe

Egg CCard 5000
Egg Money 5000
N Rock 3000
Cahoot 9000
YB Visa 4000
GM Card 4000
Halifax Loan 3500
Capital Bank13500

Total 47000

When I get sorted with a good job I wish to move house because our family is expanding so we need more room, below then are a list of questions relating to what consequences will occur due to dealing with CCCS other than
some peace of ming (Hopefully)

1. Credit rating already knackered will it get worse by dealing with CCCS
2. Don't have any defaults, CCJ's or anything but it's only a matter of time
as more going out than coming in.
3. If I get a plan going with CCCS will it affect me wanting to move house
say in the next 1 to 2 years with regard to getting a mortgage.
4. What options might CCCS offer me.

As an aside Northern Rock are trying to stiff me for an extra £30 admin charge
due to an unpaid DD below is a timeline of events, what can I reasonably ask them to do, and have they broken any rules by trying to collect and then subsequently re-charge me for something I have already paid.

20 July DD for £238 returned unpaid by my Bank
21 July Got letter informing me of unpaid DD which would be collected
10 days after letter.
23 July paid the £238 by Debit card to try and avoid late payment charge
25 July got a letter saying charged £30 for unpaid DD
31 July then they tried to take another payment by DD and returned
unpaid
09 Aug got another letter saying DD returned unpaid £30 admin

I wasn't in arrears so no reason to take 2 DD's so computer/operator has
dropped a clanger, what can I get back, have they flauted any law or guideline and if so between getting my £30 back and asking for the loan to be settled what might be reasonable.

I thank all for any help and advice that is given.

Regards Geoff."

see this forum at : http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=243374#post2675932

Link to a forum : Advice on consumer credit counseling?

First comment from this forum :

"My debt payments are straining my income to the breaking point. I do not want to declare bankruptcy, I am not able to secure any loans, and do not have house equity to cover my debts.

The good news is I have a steady job and brighter prospects for the future.

I have been advised to work with CCCS -- Consumer Credit Counseling Services -- to set up a payment plan for my debts. I have also been told of an outfit called Curadebt (www.curadebt.com) that claims to not only consolidate your bills, but negotiate some down.

Do any of you have additional advice or comments on these approaches? Thank you very much."

see this forum at : http://forums.kiplinger.com/showthread.php?t=3707

Article : Beware of Consumer Credit Counseling - Debt Negotiators

You've watched the TV commercials, heard the radio ads, saw the web banners and SPAM in your e-mail:

"LOWER your interest rates and payments!"

"Combine your bills into ONE LOW monthly payment!"

"We can eliminate up to 60% of your debt through negotiations!"

Who are those outfits and WHAT will you get?

They promise to reduce your debts and payments, often hyping their non profit status. The non profits are usually funded by the finance industry, the goal is to reduce bankruptcies. Creditors don't want the debts discharged, they rather forgive some interest and fees and collect whatever they can.

I also reviewed some of the contracts for debt negotiators and I was appalled by the outrageous fees charged to the people who would often qualify to discharge their entire unsecured debt through bankruptcy for just a few hundred dollars.

November 4, 2001 Washington Post article:

Easing the Credit Crunch?
AmeriDebt Is One of a Breed Of New Debt-Counseling Firms Whose Business Practices Are Drawing Regulators' Attention

"When his creditors didn't receive that month's payments, Reed said, he was charged late fees, over-the-limit penalties and higher interest rates. "My credit had been absolutely spotless, but now it's ruined," he said."

Paying off your debts will most likely NOT save your credit rating

Bankruptcy is often referred to as the "10 year mistake" by many of these debt negotiating and credit counseling companies.

Of course bankruptcy lowers your credit scores significantly for a few years. However, the credit counseling notation found on many credit reports for people who thought they were doing the "right thing" by paying back almost their entire debt can be worse than the bankruptcy.

Some people are lucky and those notations go away once the accounts are paid off. Unfortunately you can also end up with credit such as the scanned Equifax report below:

• "Consumer Credit Counseling" -- rated similar to bankruptcy
• "30 (or 60) days past due x times" -- LATE payments, while the consumer made EVERY payment on time
• "Pays 61-90 days" -- while the consumer made EVERY payment on time
• "Account closed by credit grantor" - often consumers have to close all accounts when entering the program

FACT: Your credit rating is most likely BETTER 2 years after discharging your debts than 3 years after entering a payment plan.

Yes, there WILL be creditors who won't offer you credit with a bankruptcy, even after several years. BUT, why would you need that credit?

Why would you even WANT a Home Depot charge card with a 20% interest rate when you have $$$$$ in the bank? Remember that when you discharge your debts, you then can start SAVING your money.

So, BEFORE you enter a repayment plan, you MUST get in writing that NO derogatory data will be placed on your credit reports as long as you make your payments on time. Should you find a company who is willing to do that, PLEASE post in the forum or fax that statement to me at (571) 222-1000.

........ read all from the source : bayhouse http://www.bayhouse.com/credit-counseling.shtml

Article : Common features of Debt Management Programs

After joining a DMP, the creditors will close the customer's accounts and restrict the accounts to future charges. The most common benefit of a DMP as advertised by most agencies is the consolidation of multiple monthly payments into one monthly payment, which is usually less than the sum of the individual payments previously paid by the customer. This is because credit cards banks will usually accept a lower monthly payment from a customer in a DMP than if the customer were paying the account on their own. Some DMPs advertise that payments can be cut by 50%, although a reduction of 10-20% is more common.

The second feature of a DMP is a reduction in interest rates charged by creditors. A customer with a defaulted credit card account will often be paying an interest rate approaching 30%. Upon joining a DMP, credit card banks sometimes lower the annual percentage rates charged to 5-10%, and a few eliminate interest altogether. This reduction in interest allows the counseling agencies to advertise that their customers will be debt free in periods of 3-6 years, rather than the 20+ years that it would take to pay off a large amount of debt at high interest rates.

A third benefit offered by credit counseling agencies is the process of bringing delinquent accounts current. This is often called "reaging" or "curing" an account. This usually occurs after making a series of on-time payments through the debt management program as a show of good faith and commitment to completion of the program. For example, a client with an account with a monthly payment of $50 which has not been paid in two months might be considered by the creditor to be 60 days past due. After joining the DMP and making three consecutive monthly payments, the creditor could reage the account to reflect a current status. Thereafter the monthly payment due on the statements would be the monthly payment negotiated by the DMP, and the account report as current to the credit bureaus. It should be noted that this process does not eliminate the prior delinquencies from the credit bureau reports. It merely gives a fresh start and an opportunity for the client to begin building a positive credit history. Like all derogatory credit information, the passage of time will lessen the impact of the negative marks when credit scores are calculated.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_counseling

Article : History of credit counseling

The first credit counseling agencies were created in 1951 in the United States when credit grantors created The National Foundation for Credit Counseling, or NFCC. According to W. Patrick Boisclair, Chairman of the NFCC's Board of Trustees, "the NFCC initially monitored legislative and regulatory activity for its retail credit members" and "also conducted public awareness campaigns on credit."(source) Their stated objective was to promote financial literacy and help consumers avoid bankruptcy, but they did not serve as collection agencies for the creditors. The first local credit counseling franchises emerged in the 1960's, offering education and counseling directly to consumers. NFCC is operated and the board of directors were major retailers, like JC Pennys and Sears, that used NFCC to act as a collection agency for bad debts.

In 1993, the “Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies,” or AICCCA, was founded, citing a need for “industry-wide standards of excellence and ethical conduct.” This formally organized the NFCC’s competition. The AICCCA was formed from the group of counselors who favored telephone delivery of debt management programs. The NFCC was, in the beginning, strongly opposed to this telephone business model, primarily favoring face-to-face counseling as a more effective solution. Eventually, all organizations practiced both phone and face-to-face processes with some agencies using large inbound call centers driven by mass media advertising.

The credit counseling industry’s third major trade organization is its largest: the American Association of Debt Management Organizations, or AADMO.

However, not all credit counseling agencies belong to a trade organization, nor are they required to do so; there are well over 1,000 active credit counseling organizations in the United States.

In 2005, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 made credit counseling a requirement for consumer debtors filing for Bankruptcy in the United States. In order to meet this requirement, during the 180-day period preceding the filing of bankruptcy, the debtor must complete a program with an approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency. Such a program may include, but is not limited to, one counseling session conducted by phone or over the internet. In addition, a post-filing debtor education credit counseling session is required in order to complete the bankruptcy process and to have your debts discharged.

Credit Counselling is also a growing industry in Europe, both for profit-making debt management companies and charities such as Christians Against Poverty and the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, Britain's largest debt advice charity.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_counseling

Criticism of credit counseling (USA)

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the number of credit and debt counseling agencies in America increased significantly. An antitrust lawsuit was filed against the NFCC, arguing that the presence of creditors on the NFCC’s Board of Directors constituted monopolistic practices. As a result of this litigation, creditors agreed to fund non-NFCC member agencies as well.

These sharp increases of credit counseling activity also created other, more serious issues in the industry. By the early 1990s, abuses by certain credit counseling organizations were so significant, it led to criticism of the entire industry.

A credit counseling agency typically receives most of its compensation from the creditors to whom the debt payments are distributed. This funding relationship has led many to believe that credit counseling agencies are merely a collections wing of the creditors. This fee income, known as “Fair Share,” are contributions from the creditors that originally earned the agency 15% of the amount recovered. However, in recent years, Fair Share contributions have dwindled steadily, with contributions of 4-10% being the most common.

Still the NFCC considers bankcard companies to be one of their primary "constituents," and the NFCC website promotes the fact that they collect $5 billion for creditors each year. It also promotes their efforts to steer consumers away from bankruptcy.

The Federal Trade Commission has filed lawsuits against several credit counseling agencies, and continues to urge caution in choosing a credit counseling agency. The FTC has received more than 8,000 complaints from consumers about credit counselors, many concerning high or hidden fees and the inability to opt out of so-called “voluntary” contributions. The Better Business Bureau also reports high complaint levels about credit counseling.

The IRS also has weighed in on the subject of credit counseling, and has denied nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to around 30 of the nation's 1000 credit counseling agencies. Those 30 credit counseling agencies account for more than half of the industry's revenue. Audits of non-profit credit counseling agencies by the IRS are ongoing.

The lobby against credit counselors arises from the belief by the collection industry that the not-for-profit status of the credit counselors gives them an unfair financial and market advantage over them. The IRS apparently agrees. The tax exempt revocations seem to be centered around whether a tax exempt credit counselor actually performed their mandated mission by assisting the community at large, other than their whole attention to their own DMP customers in a "collection practice" (no one knows for sure however).

Congress has also investigated the credit counseling industry, and issued a report that said while some agencies are ethical, others charge excessive fees and provide poor service to consumers. The report also stated that NFCC member guidelines, if applied to the entire credit counseling industry, would go a long way toward eliminating the abuses they uncovered in some parts of the industry.

Other organizations have voiced criticisms of the credit counseling industry, often citing the Fair Share funding model as evidence that credit counselors serve the interests of the creditors over the interests of consumers, and that credit counselors are not forthcoming in speaking out about the actions of creditors for fear of losing what little funding remains. Credit counselors respond that their job is not to take sides but to negotiate with all parties equally to help successfully resolve debts. They further argue that the steady decline in Fair Share funding belies the notion that creditors are in control of the credit counseling industry.

Another common criticism of credit counseling is the assertion that participating in a Debt Management Plan will ruin a consumer’s credit. Fair Isaac Corporation, the company that pioneered the use of credit scores, states that participation in a Debt Management Plan has no effect on a consumer's FICO credit score. However, the participation in such a plan does appear on consumer credit reports, and the client may have more difficulty obtaining a car or home loan and be denied any further unsecured credit, such as a credit card. This is because lenders often use multiple risk factors to determine creditworthiness. While credit card banks offering relatively low-credit-line cards may use a credit score alone to approve a new account, a mortgage or car lender typically will scrutinize the entire credit report more extensively and verify employment and income information. Some lenders view a prospective customer's participation in a Debt Management Plan as indicative of the customer being unfit to manage their finances.

Additionally, mortgage loans backed by federal programs such as HUD or FHA have additional government underwriting guidelines in addition to the lender's own policies. HUD/FHA states their position on credit counseling is neutral and that a factor they will consider is whether the client has been adhering to the payment plan initially established through the credit counseling agency.^[1] The FHA recommends credit counseling programs to those who fear being denied a mortgage loan due to credit approval.^[2]

Counseling agencies have also been criticized for understating their clients' future responsibilities during the initial enrollment process. Agencies have been accused of telling clients to stop paying creditors directly and cease all telephone contact with creditors. This can result in accounts falling past due during the period that the client transitions into the DMP. Many clients come to the DMP with current accounts; they are simply seeking lower interest rates rather than needing help bringing their accounts current. It takes the average DMP 1-2 months to start making disbursements to creditors, during which time the accounts will fall past due if the client does not continue making direct payments to the creditors. Often this is impossible, however, because the client cannot afford to pay the DMP an advance payment as well as pay the creditors the normal monthly payment amounts. In this way a client's credit can be damaged as the accounts unintentionally fall past due.

Given this criticism, the industry is likely to be changed forever in the immediate future as it is scrutinized by both the consumer and government regulators over how they will be paid for the services they perform. In meantime, there will be no shortage of debt-burdened consumers who will now be facing a burgeoning, and more traditional, collection industry.

It should also be noted that many credit counseling services employ people hired off the street who are then trained in credit counseling. Thus the person helping you may not have any formal training in financial management other than what they received when they got hired as a credit counselor. This training is usually minimal and focused only on the services provided rather than a full course on financial management.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_counseling