A lot of families really don’t consider the true cost of all the things that they are financing. They buy new cars and don’t consider the total amount of debt, but merely the payment they are making. The same holds true for their home, credit cards, boats, and the like. Many people believe that as long as they can afford to make the payments, they are doing just fine. People who operate under this mentality and continually borrow money eventually will find themselves in a financial mess. If you’re heading in that direction, or are already having money problems, you might consider getting some debt help from a good quality financial counselor.
Sitting down with a quality financial counselor will be able to do some things that will help steer you and your money in the right direction. If you’re in a lot of debt and aren’t making progress out of it, it might be time to admit that your financial plan isn’t working. It’s nothing to be ashamed about or to feel depressed about, but you do need to do something different. A quality financial counselor will be able to independently look at your life situation, help you write a realistic budget, show you problem areas, and create a plan to help you get out of debt. A lot of times we’re in financial denial and need someone to beat on us for our own good, and a quality financial counselor can do this and help you get the debt help you need.
Visiting a financial counselor to get some debt help is definitely a great thing to do, but make sure that you find a quality financial counselor. Some unscrupulous financial counselors will try to sell you products that you don’t need so they can get a commission. When searching for a financial counselor, make sure that you visit a fee-only counselor. This means that they get paid for seeing you, but will not try to sell you financial products that your may not need.
A great resource to find a good credit counselor is the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. They will be able to refer you to a quality credit counselor in you area that will be able to help you devise a plan to get yourself out of debt, and keep you out of debt. Quite often they’ll even be able to make it so you can meet with someone for free, because many of their partner agencies are non-profits.
There’s help out there if you need it. You just need to reach out and ask for it. Your debt won’t pay it self off, only you can. In order for you to successfully pay off your debt, you’ll need a good plan to do it, and a quality financial counselor can help make that happen.