The benefits of credit card counseling services
When you’re carrying more credit card debt than you can handle, credit card counseling services can be your ticket to financial stability. The average American household today has $8000 in credit card debt. Many people find it hard just to make their monthly minimum payment, which means their credit card debt will only continue to grow. A credit card counseling agency can help by providing strategies, resources, and education that enables consumers to pay off their debt and learn to avoid credit card debt in the future.
American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC) provides free credit card counseling services and low-cost debt management programs that have helped thousands of individuals and families find their way out of debt. When you’re ready to tackle your debt and take control of your finances, credit counselors at ACCC are here to help.
5 reasons to get credit card counseling today
When you choose reputable credit card counseling services, you can:
- Get free credit counseling. With a non-profit credit counselor, your first meeting is typically free of charge and has no strings attached.
- Access free educational materials. Non-profit credit card debt counseling services are dedicated to providing free educational resources and tools that help consumers learn more about personal finance, budgeting, and how to avoid getting into debt.
- Take advantage of low-cost debt management programs. With a debt management program, you can consolidate your unsecured debt into one easy monthly payment that makes it easier to stick with your plan for paying off debt.
- Reduce interest rates, finance charges, and fees. Credit card counseling services will usually approach your creditors to ask for reductions in interest rates, finance charges, late fees, and over-limit fees, helping to reduce the amount you owe.
- Pay off your debt once and for all. When working with non-profit credit card counseling services, most consumers are able to pay down their debt within 36 to 60 months, while also learning the healthy financial habits to avoid debt in the future.
ACCC: credit card counseling services and more
Founded in 1991, ACCC is a nonprofit agency offering free credit and debt counseling services and low-costs programs for consumers nationwide. As a leader in the credit counseling industry, we empower consumers to regain control over the quality of their lives through financial education, credit card counseling services, and debt management.
When you come to ACCC for credit card counseling services, your first session is free of charge. During this hour, you’ll talk with a highly trained and certified credit counselor who will help you understand your situation, how you got into it, and what the options are for getting out of it. Your counselor will review your income and expenses, and help you create a budget that will let you pay down your debt over time.
Your ACCC counselor will also walk you through all the strategies for paying off debt and fill you in on the pros and cons of each. Ultimately, we’ll present you with a list of personalized options based on your financial goals, and help you decide which approach seems right for you.
The importance of non-profit credit counseling
When choosing a credit card counseling service, you’ll often see options for a non-profit credit counseling agency or a for-profit debt relief firm. Non-profit agencies are dedicated to providing free services and low-cost debt management plans. For-profit firms, in contrast, are devoted to making money, so the fees they charge for their services can be significant or even exorbitant. Non-profit credit card counseling services recommend payment plans that won’t ruin your credit rating or get you in legal trouble. For-profit companies often recommend aggressive strategies like refusing to pay your creditors at all to pressure them to settle your debt for less than you owe. There is no guarantee this approach will work, and when it doesn’t, it can leave you more deeply in debt while trashing your credit rating. Finally, non-profit agencies offer free educational materials that can help you learn more about managing money and avoiding debt. For-profit firms typically do not offer these kinds of benefits.
Why choose ACCC?
At ACCC, our credit card counseling services include:
- Advice from experts. Our credit counselors are certified and professionally trained to provide assistance with all your financial difficulties.
- Solutions backed by experience. ACCC has been a leader in the credit counseling industry for 30 years. We are a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) and we have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
- Convenient services. ACCC services are offered six days a week in English and in Spanish. Credit card counseling is available in person and over the phone.
- Free credit card counseling. There is no charge for your first credit counseling session with ACCC.
- Reasonable fees for debt management. Our debt management services have the lowest effective fee structure in the industry.
- Exceptional service. We are committed to providing the highest level of customer service as well as ongoing support and counseling as long as you need it. Additionally, with ACCC, your personal financial information is always held in the strictest of confidence.
FAQs: What are credit card counseling services?
What are credit card counseling services?
Credit card counseling services help consumers manage and pay off their credit card debt. Credit counselors are experts in the variety of strategies for managing credit cards and can help consumers learn how to avoid debt in the future.
What are debt management plans for credit card debt?
Debt management plans are offered by non-profit credit counseling agencies. Under a debt management program, you’ll make a single payment each month to the agency which will then pay your creditors on your behalf. This arrangement simplifies your finances to reduce financial stress and to ensure you can make payments on time each month. Under a debt management plan, the credit counseling agency can also contact your creditors to re-age your accounts and to seek reductions in interest rates, finance charges, and fees.
