Has anyone ever used a company like this? Do you have a good one? Is there anything I need to watch out for?

Thanks for the help! I need to do something quick...

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~ Jessica

I have read that it's not wise to use these services but of course there's pros and cons

http://www.bankrate.com/nltrack/news/cc/20040806b1.asp

I think a financial advisor would be of better use to you. They could give you some ideas on how to handle things. Just remember no matter who you go to it's ok to not follow their advise. After all, it is your life

We went threw one and have been with them for just over a yr now and I have not had ONE problem with them.We have 10 credit cards being taken care of threw them.Actually,3 are almost paid off and they were able to lower our interest rates on all of the cards.One card lowered it to 0%.
If you are not carefull,you will find a bad one.Before I chose to go threw this company,I spent days looking into them and they have not dissapointed me yet.
Good luck with what you decide to do.

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~~Sharon...wife to Bill for 17 yrs and mom to Kevin,16; Stephanie,14 and Tyler,8~~

They can be very beneficial for the right people. If you are looking to pay less in interest rates, they are great. HOwever, you agree to cancel these cards in exchange for the lower interest rate.

You need to look for one that is a non-profit. The ads that you see on TV are places that will charge you for their service. And, you often dont get very far ahead, then.

Consumer Credit COunseling Service is a non-profit organization. They are sponsored by the United Way where I live. They set up a re-pay plan which does not have a negative effect on your credit because you are paying the full amount off on time, just with lower interest rates.

WHen you meet with a counselor, they will be able to tell you exactly what each credit card company's agreement is. For example, Kwik Trip card drops to 0%. Most others drop to 5-8%.

I have gone with families that were paying $450 a month and would not ever have cards paid off at thier interest rates. This family's plan was to pay $245 a month, and, it would be paid off in 4 years.

I have gone through several session with families (I am a parent advocate/interpreter), so, if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer.

Good luck

I joined one of these a few years ago when I was in college. They told me that my credit would not be affected at all by this program. However, when my hubbie and I went to buy a house about 2 yrs later, the mortgage co. treated us as if I had file bankruptcy! I had to jump through flaming hoops to get my mortgage. Since I cancelled the program and began paying on my own my credit score has gone up by a lot. Just be careful and really consider the pros and cons.

Exactly what NewMommy2006 said -- we used one many years ago. When we went to refinance we were treated the same way -- credit counseling of any kind shows up as a very bad mark against you with mortgage companies and lenders. And also, you dont want to use one that you have to pay for -- if you do decide to go that route.

There's a Christian Credit Counseling service - we almost used them a few years ago - then we decided to do things on our own. They seemed like a very reputable company - even continued to send us helpful hints type newsletters for improving our credit. They're also non-profit.

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Stephanie (27) & Virgil (31)
Caden 3 y.o. 11/28/04 29w preemie
Wyatt 17 mos. 9/25/06
#3 due 8/24/08

I was told that credit counseling shows up as bad as a bankruptcy on your credit reports.

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~Happiness is a large family~

Before going w/one (one of our members here is going through numerous problems w/one, but CCC is a valid service), I would try to work directly w/the creditors and simply do what these agencies tell you they will do. Try to work it out w/them first.

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