Last week Debt Management Credit Counseling sent out the press release below. Two things struck me as a bit odd about it so I emailed the company to ask for clarification. As of yet I’ve not heard back from them so I’ll just publish the release and my observations and if they ever respond, I’ll update the post with their ... Read More »
In my first article in this series I outlined many benefits you get from working with a credit counseling agency. But there are also drawbacks to enrolling in a DMP (debt management plan) in order to get credit card payment relief. And the concerns are not minor, which is why the word WARNING is capitalized. As with any of the ... Read More »
As part of my junk mail program a reader sent in a recent copy of a letter they say they received from CareOne that has a very fit picture of founder Bernie Dancel on it. There is only one big problem, the domain name listed on the bottom of the letter, CareOneInfo.com, isn’t actually owned by CareOne anymore and it ... Read More »
Now here is something you don’t get to witness often, if at all. Apparently there is a bit of disturbed blood milling about in the credit counseling world right now. In just doing some routine checking on activity I came across a very, very odd letter from the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA) to the U.S. District ... Read More »
Not much shocks me in the debt world but this announcement from the Federal Trade Commission, did. The FTC just announced, “FTC Sends More Than $1.79 Million in Refunds to Consumers Defrauded by AmeriDebt Scam.” The AmeriDebt case goes all the way back to November 19, 2003 and the FTC is still dealing with recovering money from harmed credit counseling ... Read More »
According to the credit reporting agency TransUnion, credit card delinquency has hit a seven year low. That’s good for consumer but not so good for credit counseling, debt settlement, or bankruptcy providers. The national credit card delinquency rate declined to its lowest level in at least seven years, dropping from 1.27% in Q2 2013 to 1.16% in Q2 2014. The ... Read More »
In a recent article “Why Isn’t AmeriFree Licensed in Their Own State?” a reader asked why AmeriFree did not appear to be registered to offer debt relief services in Arizona. As I said in the article, I had previously reached out to AmeriFree for a statement or response and heard nothing. Well today I have. A John Corey said, “AmeriFree ... Read More »
A reader wanted to know why the public returns for First Stone Credit Counseling listed commissions as an expense since nonprofit credit counselors are not allowed to pay commissions under 501(q). – Source A visit to their site at firststone.com found a curious title to their site. It seems their primary focus is not credit counseling in the title but ... Read More »
Richard Burnett of the Orlando Sentinel recently wrote an interesting piece about the realities of modern non-profit credit counseling and how they need help. With demand dropping, existing credit counseling agencies are scrambling to find new avenues of income. Credit counseling agencies are turning to trying to sell student loan assistance and one agency reports having a pilot program to ... Read More »
Advantage Credit Counseling Service has a “white paper” out that purports to reveal what a certified credit counseling agency can do for you. Credit counselors have good programs that are best suited to people who are behind on their bills but can afford at least the regular monthly payment plus continue to save both for retirement and emergencies. What struck ... Read More »
The defendants in two separate alleged scams have settled charges with the Federal Trade Commission and will be banned from providing mortgage- and debt-relief services. The cases are part of the FTC’s continuing crackdown on scams targeting consumers in financial distress, including debt relief and credit repair scams, and mortgage relief scams. American Mortgage Consulting Group; Home Guardian Management Solutions: ... Read More »
The other day I published the debt settlement recommendation report from The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), click here. As vocal as critics have been in attacking this site and myself for being outspoken about consumer unfriendly debt relief practices I felt certain people would have comments to offer about the CRL recommendations. But silence, except for one commenter. Some ... Read More »
A press release out by Advantage Credit Counseling Service drew me to their site today. – Source. While there I came across a good example of the ethical conundrum facing nonprofit credit counselors today. Advance Credit Counseling Service is not alone in dealing with this problem. According to the Advantage Credit Counseling Service website they are a proud member of ... Read More »
Student Loan Alliance put out a press release earlier this week talking about the training they were giving credit counseling agencies in order to deal with student loan problems. Student Loan Alliance says the credit counseling agencies that participate in their approach and training are The participating organizations are: Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas, Consumer Credit Counseling Service ... Read More »
A nonsensical press release just out by Debt Consolidation USA warning consumers about credit counseling seems odd to say the least. Let’s go with the assumption the reason for this release was just to try and score some SEO points or something like that. The release refers to an article on their website titled “Reasons to Avoid Credit Counseling.” – ... Read More »
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