 TITLE: Tips for Choosing a Credit Counseling Agency CONTENT: How Do I Choose a Credit Counseling Agency?\n-------------------------------------------\nOnce you've figured out what areas you need help with, you'll need to find a credit counseling agency that can help you work through your financial issues. It can be hard to know whom to trust with something as important as your financial well-being. Fortunately, there are trustworthy resources available to help match you with a certified credit counselor. The first step is to look for nonprofit agencies that work with certified credit counselors. The two most well-known resources are:\n*   The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): This nonprofit financial counseling organization and its member agencies offer a free online assessment to determine if financial counseling is right for you. Their website is easy to navigate, and you can arrange an appointment with a certified counselor online or over the phone.\n*   Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA): FCAA is another nonprofit resource that lets you search for certified agencies by state and also offers the Debt Decisioning Tool, a free calculator to help you get a good snapshot of your current financial health.\nThese organizations can connect you with certified credit counselors. Once you've developed a list of potential credit counseling agencies, make sure the agencies you're considering are certified by checking the U.S. Department of Justice's list of agencies approved by state. Also check with your state's attorney general's office, local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any customer complaints against the agency and make sure they're in good standing.\nAsk the counselors for free information about their services and see if their expertise lines up with your list of needs and priorities. A reputable credit counseling organization should be willing to send you free information about itself and the services it provides without requiring you to give any details about your situation. If a service doesn't do that, consider this a red flag and go elsewhere for help.\nCredit counseling agencies are not the same as for-profit \"credit repair\" companies, which charge fees and make promises to change information on your credit report. These companies often are scams and should be avoided. END