There are tremendous resources available to people who are looking for bad debt help.
Many of them are free, but of course the higher quality resources come at a cost.
What we will explore here are three of those free options that not only empower the borrower but allow for some quality bad debt help in the process.
Banks & Lenders When some folks are looking for bad debt help, one of the last places they turn is their banker.
However, even if the banker cannot provide a "good" consolidation loan or have an effect on the debt itself, if the banker is worth even half of his salary, he can certainly offer some tips and advice that can improve your situation.
The best part is that the banker does not charge for his time, so you can discuss higher level topics like budget planning, how debt repayment will impact your credit score, how to properly structure a debt management system and so on, at no cost.
Since many bankers come with years of experience, you can benefit from a 30-minute review or chat (just don't expect a full day seminar for free).
Bank Websites For US residents, one of the most comprehensive and easy to use websites available (at no cost) is the Wells Fargo website.
Their site not only provides a variety of loan and mortgage calculators but will also offer advice as to what the best "product" would be (tip: in some of these, you need to state that you are a Wells Fargo customer otherwise will invite you to call their customer service line).
This website is Wells Fargo dot com back-slash help back-slash tools.
For Canadian residents, most of the big banks offer great tools for borrowers.
Scotiabank's website seems rather detailed and provides great resources, but are tough to find.
Simply go to their main website, choose the "borrowing" link on the left side, then choose "tools & resources" on the right side.
Credit Counseling Although some credit counseling companies charge fees (even some non-profit), there are plenty of other options available for this service.
If you are employed, taking a look at what options are available through your benefits program (or employee assistance program) would be a great place to start.
This pushes the cost of the counseling on to your employer's benefits provider and allows you access to free counseling.
If you are not employed, consider speaking with government representatives (such as the USDA) to see what is available to you.
Some Housing Authorities can also make referrals.
If you opt to find your own credit counseling service, verify them through National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) and the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA).
Although the free counseling services will not get involved in debt management programs, they can offer bad debt help from an advice angle and help you figure a way to get back on track.
Clearly, there are plenty of options available to folks who are looking for legitimate bad debt help.
The key to using these services is not just to deal with a debt problem but to gain a deeper understanding of how to avoid such problems in the future.
Many of them are free, but of course the higher quality resources come at a cost.
What we will explore here are three of those free options that not only empower the borrower but allow for some quality bad debt help in the process.
Banks & Lenders When some folks are looking for bad debt help, one of the last places they turn is their banker.
However, even if the banker cannot provide a "good" consolidation loan or have an effect on the debt itself, if the banker is worth even half of his salary, he can certainly offer some tips and advice that can improve your situation.
The best part is that the banker does not charge for his time, so you can discuss higher level topics like budget planning, how debt repayment will impact your credit score, how to properly structure a debt management system and so on, at no cost.
Since many bankers come with years of experience, you can benefit from a 30-minute review or chat (just don't expect a full day seminar for free).
Bank Websites For US residents, one of the most comprehensive and easy to use websites available (at no cost) is the Wells Fargo website.
Their site not only provides a variety of loan and mortgage calculators but will also offer advice as to what the best "product" would be (tip: in some of these, you need to state that you are a Wells Fargo customer otherwise will invite you to call their customer service line).
This website is Wells Fargo dot com back-slash help back-slash tools.
For Canadian residents, most of the big banks offer great tools for borrowers.
Scotiabank's website seems rather detailed and provides great resources, but are tough to find.
Simply go to their main website, choose the "borrowing" link on the left side, then choose "tools & resources" on the right side.
Credit Counseling Although some credit counseling companies charge fees (even some non-profit), there are plenty of other options available for this service.
If you are employed, taking a look at what options are available through your benefits program (or employee assistance program) would be a great place to start.
This pushes the cost of the counseling on to your employer's benefits provider and allows you access to free counseling.
If you are not employed, consider speaking with government representatives (such as the USDA) to see what is available to you.
Some Housing Authorities can also make referrals.
If you opt to find your own credit counseling service, verify them through National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) and the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA).
Although the free counseling services will not get involved in debt management programs, they can offer bad debt help from an advice angle and help you figure a way to get back on track.
Clearly, there are plenty of options available to folks who are looking for legitimate bad debt help.
The key to using these services is not just to deal with a debt problem but to gain a deeper understanding of how to avoid such problems in the future.