
Credit counseling can help with getting credit counseling out of debt, depending on your situation and your needs. For example, if you’re struggling to come up with a realistic budget, then a credit counselor can review your spending and income and help you identify areas where you could improve and create more money to apply to debt repayment.
Also, a credit counselor can discuss debt repayment strategies to help you choose a method that works best for you. For example, they may help you weigh the merits of the debt snowball method versus the debt avalanche method. Both methods require you to prioritize your debts and pay as much money toward the first one as possible while paying the minimum to the rest of your debts.
Where they differ lies in how you order your debts. With the debt avalanche, you pay off debts from the highest interest rate to the lowest. This method can help you save money on interest over time. With the debt snowball, you pay off debts from the lowest balance to the highest. You may not save as much on interest, but you can get motivated to keep paying down debt if you’re able to clear one or two balances relatively quickly.
Whether a credit counselor is an effective way for you to pay off debt depends on what you can afford to pay, based on your income, your budget, and your overall financial situation. For example, if you can’t afford to pay your debts monthly, but you do have some money in savings, then you may consider debt settlement instead. And in a dire financial situation, bankruptcy may be the last resort.