If you
opt for a debt management plan, you can consolidate all of your credit card payments into one monthly payment through credit counseling services.
A good starting
point for a debt management plan is to make a list of all credit card accounts, their balances and the annual percentage rate (APR) for each account.
Since non-profit credit counselors are dependent on funding by
creditors for this debt management plan and creditors set the terms and control which credit counseling agencies can participate, the creditor calls the shots and pulls the strings.
Debt Advice Foundation does not receive direct creditor
funding for Debt Management Plans but we do believe non-fee-charging is always better than fee - charging Debt Management.
This non-profit credit counseling provides
services for debt management plans, presents options to you for debt consolidation and provides educational financial services throughout the U.S.
While both involve negotiation with your creditors with the assistance of a third party (a trustee in the case of a consumer proposal and an accredited credit counselling
agency for a debt management plan), a consumer proposal can provide more relief in terms of lower monthly payments in most situations.
If you are looking to pay off multiple debts without drastically changing your lifestyle and would rather not take out an extra loan to do so, then
applying for a Debt Management Plan could be right move for you.
Alternatively, you might
opt for a debt management plan (DMP) or a debt settlement program (DSP) if you have to pay off more than $ 10,000 unsecured bills.
Signing up
for a debt management plan will not hurt your FICO score, the most widely used credit scoring model.
A person can achieve such a consolidation by taking a debt consolidation loan or signing up
for a debt management plan, which is a third - party merging system that does not lend any money during its process.
Another sign things could be amiss is if the agency applies pressure and insists the client sign up
for a debt management plan, Jones says.
Before you sign up
for a debt management plan, choose a credit counseling organization to help you with the process.
A counselor can review your financial situation, help you with budgeting and see whether you're a candidate
for a debt management plan, which would allow you to pay off your credit card debt over time, perhaps at a lower interest rate.
What surprised Eric was three facts he hadn't considered when he signed up
for his debt management plan:
People who sign up
for a Debt Management Plan can see a significant increase in their credit scores and are less likely to declare bankruptcy, according to a Consumer Federation of America - and American Express - sponsored study of credit counseling clients.
The study found that customers who signed up
for a Debt Management Plan had an average increase in credit score of 59.4 points during the next three years (compared to 39.7 points for people who did not do a DMP.
Also, among credit counseling customers who signed up
for a Debt Management Plan, 15.9 % declared bankruptcy during the next three years (compared with 28.4 % of people who did not commit to a DMP).
When you agree to sign up
for a Debt Management Plan, the banks and credit card companies often agree to waive fees and lower your interest rates, which makes it more affordable to pay down your debts.
Applying
for a Debt Management Plan is easy with our trusted debt management partners.