John Chase asked:
Nonprofit Debt Consolidation
Seeking the help of nonprofit debt consolidation companies can certainly help you dig your way out of debt. In this article we’re going to explain what nonprofit debt help is really all about and what you can expect from any company offering debt consolidation services.
So what exactly is prompting so many Americans to seek the help of a nonprofit debt consolidator? Well for one, personal debt for many Americans continues to rise. In fact, according to recently published debt statistics, about 4% of Americans carry more than $10,000 in credit card debt and all Americans owe an astounding $832 billion on their credit cards.
And while not everyone agrees that this kind of debt is necessarily a bad thing from a macroeconomic level, at an individual level things are different. In fact, the sudden loss of a job or other source of family income can mean the difference between debt that is manageable and debt that’s out of control.
So as people find themselves faced with difficult choices, they are seeking out the help of debt consolidators. These same individuals have a sense of security that those helping them with their debt problems are associated with a not-for-profit organization.
In order to find out if an organization is considered a nonprofit debt consolidation service provider, the first thing you should look for is a statement concerning its nonprofit status. Specifically, the organization should be making some reference to achieving IRS 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization status. Most online websites would typically have this kind of information in their “About” section.
This is an important piece of information to start with. If a company is claiming to offer a nonprofit debt service, then at the very least they should demonstrate that the federal government recognizes their nonprofit status.
There are a number of warnings we gave out in that article that are worth talking about here. We’re going to talk about this as we are walking through the steps a typical nonprofit organization might take you through.
If any debt consolidator claims that they can restore your credit ratings immediately you need to be very skeptical of this claim. Credit reports are based on past payment habits which is referred to as your credit history. There are basically three credit reporting agencies that gather information from creditors and compile a report for individuals. Credit reports contain credit scores which are a measure of how well an individual pays their bills.
Since credit reporting agencies use automated mathematical equations to calculate credit scores, there is very little anyone can do to help with an individual’s score – except to help find errors on the report. Nonprofit debt consolidation companies will help you to understand the credit scoring process, they can coach you on how to improve your credit score in the future, and they can help you to get errors cleaned up.
But fixing errors appearing on your report is the only way that you can restore credit in the short term. If a debt consolidation company claims to be able to do more than that, you need to be skeptical of their services.
Most nonprofit companies will offer debt or credit counseling for free. This is an important step in staying debt-free in the long term. Often times families fall on hard times as a result of an emotional event that someone has experienced. Debt counseling can help figure out if the family needs help that goes beyond financial planning. If that is true, then the counselor will often make a referral to a local social services organization.
If you are seeking the help of a nonprofit debt consolidation company, then their services should go beyond just finding you a consolidation loan. Their goal should be that same as yours – getting debt under control in the short term and staying out of debt over the long term. That’s why most good debt counseling will also introduce the concept of budgeting. They’ll also help you to put together what’s called a debt management plan.
The most important service offered by the nonprofit organization should be to find you a debt consolidation loan that you can live with. Here is where some more serious warnings come into play. You need to understand if or how much of your monthly debt consolidation loan is acting like a donation to the nonprofit organization.
True nonprofits will ask individuals to pay very low fees or none at all. Just because the company claims to be nonprofit does not mean you should not shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal on your consolidation loan.
Finally, remember that debt consolidation often involved turning an unsecured loan – such as credit card debt – into a secured loan. That means you will need to supply collateral with your loan and that will most likely be your home. So while the payment terms may be much more to your liking with a consolidation loan, it also means that you carry a much larger risk if you default on your loan – you could lose your house.
