 TITLE: Tips for Choosing a Credit Counseling Agency CONTENT: A credit counseling agency is an organization that helps you get out of debt and manage your money. Credit counseling agencies, also sometimes called debt counseling agencies, focus on financial education and work with you to navigate the debt paydown process and offer strategies to help you avoid taking on more debt than you can afford in the future.\nA vital service credit counseling agencies can offer is helping you understand your credit report and score. Your credit report—and credit score based on the information in your report—is important because it tells lenders how risky it might be to lend you money. Reviewing your report to ensure all the information there is correct, as well as understanding areas for improvement in your credit score, are good first steps in helping get your debt under control. You can review your Experian credit report and credit score for free to get an idea of what's there before you meet with a credit counselor.\nCredit counseling agencies can also help you:\n*   Get a realistic picture of your finances\n*   Help you make a budget\n*   Give you a better understanding of how debt works\n*   Know your rights and responsibilities as a borrower\n*   Provide free workshops and materials\n*   Create a debt management plan to pay down your debts\nCredit counseling agencies can be helpful in many ways, but at a minimum, you can expect them to review your income and expenses, create an action plan for getting back on track, and make recommendations for managing your credit. END