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A: It’s very important for consumers to keep
lines of communication open with their creditors if they are experiencing problems making payments. At same time, I doubt you’ll be able to negotiate same terms that a counseling agency can.
There are several reasons why. First, creditors know when someone enters into a counseling program that they are making a serious effort to repay their debt. Consumers in a counseling program, for example, agree not to take on additional debt. Secondly, creditors know they will be treated fairly when a consumer is in a counseling program. Without counseling agency as “go between,” consumers might feel pressured to pay one creditor (you know “squeaky wheel” adage), which could mean other payments slide. Finally, counseling agency takes on responsibility of making monthly payments to each participating creditor. That makes it easier for you, since you only have one monthly payment to make to counseling agency, but it also means creditor knows they can get a reliable answer from agency if a payment isn’t received on time. Together, all this means that most creditors feel much more comfortable negotiating with a professional credit counseling agency instead of directly with consumers.
-- Howard Dvorkin, founder of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services Inc. Credit Counseling Services Inc., all rights reserved. To ask a question, or to learn more about strategies to reduce your debt, visit www.ConsolidatedCredit.org or call 800-210-3481.
Mr. Howard Dvorkin, MBA, CPA, is the Founder of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc.™ and www.ConsolidatedCredit.org. He is a noted financial expert on consumer credit, personal financial planning, and tax strategies, as well as specializing in both private consumer debt law and IRS practices and procedures.
