It wasn’t until the past few years that people have begun using home debt consolidation services at such a rate. Even though these companies have been around for decades, it took the recent recession to make people realize there were a few options available to them. People who are now in financial upheaval do have a place to turn.
By the time you consider consolidating your debts, you might very well already been in financial straits. Your payments are late, and your credit has been adversely affected. Perhaps you have even tried unsuccessfully to negotiate better terms with your lenders.
There are all sorts of debt loan consolidation companies and services that offer some type of debt protection and planning. A few are well-established and well-qualified non-profit organizations, and still others are scam artists. A few companies will show you how to do all this yourself, while others will insist on doing everything for you. Just be careful which company you choose to deal with because there are many pitfalls you can get trapped in.
Even though services vary from organization to organization, they all refer to themselves as ‘credit consolidation services, and because of this, scammers have invaded this business model and caused problems for many unsuspecting consumers. Before committing to anyone, and before signing any paperwork, check them out with their local Better Business Bureau.
Make sure they are real companies, too. Check their state’s business website and look for their name and address. See how many employees they have, and make sure they are still ‘in good standing’. If you don’t see any mention of them on this site, that’s a big problem. It’s all too easy to build a cheap website and get a fake address and a phone number, but this doesn’t mean you have legal permission to do business.
Your goal in hiring a firm to help manage your debts is to reduce your monthly payments to a manageable sum, while retaining control over your income. These services aren’t free, but they should usually be based on a sum of your new monthly debt. If they are asking you for long-term membership fees, down payments, or anything like that, run.
When they get agreement from one of your creditors to restructure your loan, ask for proof. Too many companies do nothing at all, then tell you your new payment. Once you start paying that lower amount, you could be shocked at what happens next, and even worse, the company you hired won’t return calls or emails because they got what they wanted ‘ your initial deposit.
Find a reliable home debt consolidation company to help. Be sure to get proof for each new deal they negotiate with a creditor and pay each bill yourself each month. Don’t just take their word for it; you want to see your new interest rate and monthly payment for each company on your new consolidation program.