Simply; Credibility and validation: Check with the BBB and perhaps the Dept of Justice to find out if whom you are dealing with is accredited and legitimate.
Ease of Assess: Can you meet face to face with a representative of the company?
Fees and Charges: What are they and when are they payable?
Payments to Creditors: What is the settlement and when will they be paid?
Guarantees or Promises: Just exactly what is the firm going to do to make sure your interests are protected.

There are a few more points and for specific information contact us directly via email or throught the blog comments section

Welcome to the United States, AND our credit system. Ethnicity and language barriers can certainly complicate the existence in a new country, now add some credit tricks and traps and the first several years can be very uncomfortable indeed. Just like language lessons and education upgrades or equivalences, Financial Health education is just as if not more important than getting your citizenship exam. If you can not understand the terms of credit than do not sign or assign any personal property to any agreements with out a visit to a trusted Financial Health counsellor or Debt Management Specialist.

There is a difficult time comparing the two since both have particular situations that must be evaluated. The simple answer is it is always best to consolidate your debts and pay them out over a period of time workable by you and your creditors. The bankrutcy is the fall back after all else fails. It would be considered not to wise to leave everything to the last minute. I suggest that your total debt exceeding $500.00 that can not be paid needs attention and before it climbs higher consider a debt consolidation

Nope.. A garnashee is a court ordered and administered judgement made to snap you to attention on a very overdue debt… The only way you can get out from underneath a garnashee is by satisfying the courts or entering into a bankrupt situation whereby you will be “protected”. Depending on the garnashee not even backruptcy protection will help… Contact a Credit Counselling service or American Bankruptcy attorney for more information.

Is it better to get a debt consolidation loan, or to go through credit counseling. My credit is not very good, and I want to make sure it does not get worse.

Budgets do not work unless they are built on true and accurate expenses. If you work out your budget based on guess work and what you “think” you spend then you will only look at the top 7 or so items… Rent, Car payment, Telephone, Cable etc. These expenses are what I call “in your face” because they reoccure month after month. What folks dont do is look at the money spent on … Soda, Fast food, kids, entertainment, booze and smokes, laundry, lottery, ALL THE LITTLE THINGS AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS. Sit down and keep reciepts for a 30 day period on every thing you spend money on. Put them in categories.. add em up. Then look. Budget your next month based on a hard look at where your money is going then see if you can relocate some elsewhere at a different time if need be… The map work is right there. Contact me again for a more specific approacj.

Dave

A Line of Credit is usually a easy thing to get access to if you have a home or other assets. Unfortunately they can be very expensive to maintain and a real trap to get into. With all forms of loans ( and this is one) There is a cost of using the money (interest) and terms and conditions to keep a LOC (Line of Credit) going.

This is more a Credit Counselling question but I will answer it here.
Your Credit Rating is only viewed in depth by some one you allow to do so. Credit Card companies look at what is called a Soft enquiry before sending out all those offers. They usually rely on the Credit Score. A hard Enquiry is done by a potential lender to see all details of your past. Your whole financial life is open for view, but again only after you authorise it. Landlords, Finance companies, Insurance companies.. (bandits) Rental outfits… anyone whom will deal directly with you.

OK?