Christian Credit Counseling

Your credit score is like a school report card. It can be biased, it can be wrong, it can be good, and it can be bad. However, contrary to the "permanent record" theory that teachers tend to threaten students with, your credit report only lasts about 10 years. So, a mistake on your credit report will only cost you money for about 10 years. If you want to fix errors now and save yourself thousands of dollars in interest payments on future loans, a credit repair company might be a good option. Or, if you want to prevent damage to your credit report because of bills you are unable to pay, you may want to talk to a consumer credit counselor. There are many options on the Web today for christian credit counseling, and you owe it to yourself to do further research.

Debt consolidation is a process in which a company "buys" all the debt you have from your various creditors and then you pay the firm back. Often credit card companies "sell" the debt to the consolidator for pennies on the dollar. This is how they are able to offer you such low interest rates. Credit card companies are happier to receive 40% of the money than risk seeing nothing if you declare bankruptcy. Everybody is happy. The credit card company gets paid, the consolidation company (often nonprofit) makes money on the loan they give you, and you are happy because you can save thousands of dollars.

More than 50% of college freshmen today owe over $1,500 in credit card debt. When kids have such credit problems it is no surprise that, as adults, we have even bigger problems. We are trained from when we are young, some would say brainwashed, to use credit like there is no tomorrow. For kids, there never is. But when you want to get a loan, our credit is the single most-important factor in the rate we will pay. Keep your credit report clean, pay off your debt, and if you need help, contact a credit counselor at one of the non-profit organizations in your state.

Watch out for bankruptcy firms that mascarade as debt consolidation companies. You do not want to declare bankruptcy in most cases. Visit the FTC's web site for more information Ads Promising Debt Relief May Be Offering Bankruptcy

The FTC also offers some good advice in picking choosing a credit counselor: Choosing a Credit Counselor.