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Some Important Questions to Ask When Choosing a Credit Counselor to Handle your DMP:
1. What services do you offer? Look for an organization that offers a range of services, including budget counseling, savings and debt management classes, and counselors who are trained and certified in consumer credit, money and debt management, and budgeting. Counselors should discuss your entire financial situation with you, and help you develop a personalized plan to solve your money problems now and avoid others in
future.
2. Are you licensed to offer your services in my state? Many states require that an organization register or obtain a license before offering credit counseling and debt management plans.
3. Do you offer free information?
4. Will I have a formal written agreement or contract with you?
5. What are
qualifications of your counselors? Are they accredited or certified by an outside organization? If so, which one? If not, how are they trained? Try to use an organization whose counselors are trained by an outside organization that is not affiliated with creditors.
6. Have other consumers been satisfied with
service that they received? Once you’ve identified credit counseling organizations that suit your needs, check them out with your local consumer protection agency, and Better Business Bureau.
7. What are your fees? Are there set-up and/or monthly fees? Get a detailed price quote in writing, and specifically ask whether all
fees are covered in
quote.
8. How are your employees paid? Ask them to disclose what compensation it receives from creditors, and how they are compensated.
9. What do you do to keep my personal information confidential and secure? They should have safeguards in place to protect your privacy.
Get
information you need to make an informed decision.

Greg Smith publishes timely information on Debt Help issues at http://www.debt-help-i.com/. Visit his web site for the latest on debt and credit issues and solutions. This article may be freely reprinted as long as the author's information and URL links remain intact.