How To Begin

If you want a debt management program to work, you need to be prepared before you speak with a counselor. Gather together your credit card statements, any unsecured loan statements, collection balances due that are not in litigation if any, and any judgments older than six months old. If you haven't done so already, you may want to check your credit report which you can check for free at AnnualCreditReport.com

One of our counselors will enter in your approximate balance with each credit card bank, along with the minimum payment, and your annual percentage rate (APR). This information is critical in showing a benefit for our clients. An ideal debt management candidate is someone with at least $5,000 in credit card debt, and interest rates above 18%. Once all your balances are entered in, a counselor can tell you your overall savings, new lower interest rates, and in most cases, a lower monthly payment.

Debt Management vs. Debt Settlement

If you cannot afford the monthly payment in a debt management plan, you may want to consider a debt settlement program. The key difference in a debt management plan and a debt settlement plan is that a DMP disburses payments to your creditors on a monthly basis, vs a debt settlement plan that saves your money in an escrow account while attorneys negotiate on your behalf for half the original balance, if not less. We utilize over 200 attorneys nationwide ensuring only a licensed attorney in your state is handling your file. Currently our attorneys are averaging 30% on their settlements nationwide vs. the national average of 43%, some 13% below the norm which means more savings for our clients in the long run.

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