Finding an Accredited Debt Consolidation Credit Counseling Agency
by: Angela Rogers
Your financial integrity is extremely valuable
and if you need help getting back on track the best people to go to for debt
consolidation credit counseling is a professional, accredited agency. There
are so many options that you can take to sort out your debts that it may
seem overwhelming and a debt consolidation credit counseling service can
help you to decide which is the best route for you to take.
A debt consolidation credit counseling agency
will go through your financial situation and work with you, and your creditors,
to create a repayment plan that you can keep to until your debts are paid
off. There are literally hundreds of debt consolidation credit counseling
agencies and it is important to choose the best one for you. One of the major
factors that you should consider when searching for the best debt consolidation
credit counseling agency to suit your needs is to check if they are accredited
to a third party organization. Accreditation means that the services of the
debt consolidation credit counseling agency are endorsed by another organization
that confirms their high standards.
There are a number of organizations that a debt
consolidation credit counseling agency can be accredited by but the most
well known is the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children,
Inc. (COA). This guarantees that the debt consolidation credit counseling
agency will adhere to high standards of service delivery, counselor
certification, fiscal integrity, and volunteer Board governance. The COA
does not give accreditation to every debt consolidation credit counseling
agency and they only give their seal of approval to those debt consolidation
credit counseling agencies who meet their exacting standards are given their
seal of approval.
Many debt consolidation credit counseling agencies
are members of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Debt consolidation
credit counseling agents who are NFCC-certified have undergone a rigorous
training and testing program.
To receive accreditation the debt consolidation
credit counseling agency must comply with several service-specific quality
standards such as:
• Annual audits of operating and trust
accounts
• The debt consolidation credit counseling
agency meets all consumer disclosure requirements as set forth by the Federal
Trade Commission
• Funds are disbursed daily and funds are
disbursed immediately in emergencies
• Each consumer receives an assessment of
how he/she came to be in financial difficulty, a comprehensive financial
plan, and a written plan of action
• Clients receive (at minimum) a quarterly
statement
In addition, the COA has their own standards
for service delivery & quality that a debt consolidation credit counseling
agency must meet for them to be accredited which are:
• Meeting the needs of cultural/ethnic
population groups in the communities they serve
• Fair and equitable treatment of
creditors
• Minimum fee structures for consumers
• Presentation of educational programs
• Counselors who are NFCC-certified
• Having a branch counseling network in
place for support their clients.
Find an Accredited Debt Consolidation Credit
Counseling Agency here -
http://www.debt-helper.info/debt-consolidation-credit-counseling.html.
About The Author
Angela Rogers is the editor for
http://www.debt-helper.info - Take an overview of student loan debt consolidation
here - http://www.debt-helper.info/student-loan-debt-consolidation.html.
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