Choosing the right credit counseling organization can mean the difference between financial success and failure. There are a couple of simple steps that you should take in order to ensure that you are dealing with the right organization.
Consider these steps:
- Verify that the organization is nonprofit. For profit corporations may sound good and may even provide quality services. However, their job is to sell, not counsel. An IRS-approved nonprofit organization utilizes highly trained staff and volunteers to ensure that your needs are met. You may search for charities registered with the Internal Revenue Service.
- Check their rating with the Better Business Bureau. The BBB is a great source to see a credit counseling organization’s track record. If the organization does a good job, they will carry a positive rating (Vision Credit Education has an “A” rating with the BBB).
- Make sure you are contacting the right type of organization. Many companies claim to offer debt relief or credit repair, but they may have other agendas, such as bankruptcy or subscriptions for costly credit repair services. A credit counseling organization is there to give you the help that you need, without costly services that you can do on your own.
- Consider how you found the organization. A company that spends millions of dollars on advertising will probably charge high fees and may put their needs ahead of yours. True nonprofit credit counseling organizations promote their services through word of mouth, referrals and by delivering quality financial information to the public as a charitable service.
Once you have chosen a reputable credit counseling organization, feel free to see what types of services they provide. An active credit counseling organization will provide free events that are open to the public. They will promote financial literacy through seminars, workshops and through online sources.
Some organizations go a step further by offering additional opportunities. For example, we also offer housing counseling, career coaching and free tax filing.
Make sure that you are comfortable with your choice, and feel free to seek a second opinion. It costs you nothing to shop around as long as they do not charge counseling fees.
Finally, make sure that you are comfortable with your counselor. Are they experienced? Do they sound knowledgeable? Are they accredited? If they sound pushy or are reading a script, your needs could be better served elsewhere!
Vision Credit Education, Inc. is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that was granted charity status by the Internal Revenue Service. Feel free to learn more about us!
