Are you or someone you know facing a difficult debt situation or just want to dig yourself out? Well this section of the site will guide you to free help and resources that are available.
DIY, Do It Yourself, tools may help you to try to work directly with your creditors. Not everyone is suited to a DIY approach. Creditors can be intimidating and threatening but if you are ready to deal with them directly then use the resources below to get going.
There is so much free help and advice available on GetOutOfDebt.org that it can be overwhelming. But let me steer you to some important sections.
DIY Debt Help Directory
- DIY Credit Counseling and Creditor Index – Want to find a specific creditor and their DIY credit counseling terms, click here.
- DIY Debt Settlement – Want to see if settling your debt might make more sense for you in your situation. Visit the DIY debt settlement section of the forum and speak with an expert for free.
- DIY Debt Consolidation – It is still possible to get an unsecured debt consolidation loan through LendingClub.com. If you have good credit it is something to evaluate in your exploration of options.
- Talk With a Debt Coach – Have a question you’d like to ask an experienced debt coach to get you headed in the right direction, just ask
- Ask Steve Your Question – Do you have a debt related question you’d like to ask me directly? You can do it right here.
- Find a Local Bankruptcy Attorney – I’m not a fan of self-help bankruptcy filings and prefer to see people find a local bankruptcy attorney and discuss their specific case with an attorney licensed in their state.
If you would like to tackle your debt situation but would prefer to have someone else deal with it for you, contact one of the members of the AACC who have pledged to put consumers first. They can provide you with hands on assistance.
And Now a Word About Your Credit and Getting Out of Debt
A DIY approach can be effective but you should be aware that any intervention with your creditors that alters your agreed to contractual terms, as in a credit counseling program or a debt settlement program, will probably lead to a negative impact your your credit report and credit score. However, the reason you should be trying those two approaches is because you are already having difficulty and need help.
If you want to get out of debt without the likelihood of credit report or credit score issues then you should look at paying your debt as agreed or a debt consolidation loan that may payoff your current debt and give you a new loan you can maintain in good standing.
If your credit does suffer as a result of seeking help or entering a DIY strategy, it is relatively easy to rebuild your credit. There is no need to hire anyone to do that and you should not hire anyone to remove accurate but negative information from your credit report.
Your credit score and credit report are designed to allow creditors to best identify those consumers that will generate profit at the least amount of risk. It is not a report on how great of a personal finance manager you are.
To improve your credit grade, think of it just like when you were in school. If you have a low grade point average and you want to bring it up then you need to do better on subsequent tests or classes. The same holds true for grading your credit.
If you’ve run into troubles you just need to get and use credit responsibly so your new credit history brings up your score. This guide will give you step-by-step help to improve your credit on what to do.
