You deposit money each month with the credit counseling
organization. The organization uses your deposits to pay your unsecured debts,
like credit card bills, student loans, and medical bills, according to a
payment schedule the counselor develops with you and your creditors. Your
creditors may agree to lower your interest rates and waive certain fees, but
check with all your creditors to be sure that they offer the concessions that a
credit counseling organization describes to you.
A successful
Debt
Management Plan (DMP) requires you to make regular, timely payments, and
could take 48 months or longer to complete. Ask the credit counselor to
estimate how long it will take for you to complete the plan. You also may have
to agree not to apply for — or use — any additional credit while you’re participating
in the plan.
Is a DMP Right For
You?
In addition to the questions already listed, here are some
other important ones to ask if you’re considering enrolling in a DMP.
Is a DMP the only option you can give me? Will you provide
me with on-going budgeting advice, regardless of whether I enroll in a DMP? If
an organization offers only DMPs, find another credit counseling organization
that also will help you create a budget and teach you money management skills.
How does your DMP work? How will you make sure that all my
creditors will be paid by the applicable due dates and in the correct billing
cycle? If a DMP is appropriate, sign up for one that allows all your creditors
to be paid before your payment due dates and within the correct billing cycle.
How is the amount of my payment determined? What if the
amount is more than I can afford? Don’t sign up for a DMP if you can’t afford
the monthly payment.
How often can I get status reports on my accounts? Can I get
access to my accounts online or by phone? Make sure that the organization you
sign up with is willing to provide regular, detailed statements about your
account.
Can you get my creditors to lower or eliminate interest and
finance charges, or waive late fees? If yes, contact your creditors to verify
this, and ask them how long you have to be on the plan before the benefits kick
in.
What debts aren’t included in the DMP? This is important
because you’ll have to pay those bills on your own.
Do I have to make any payments to my creditors before they
will accept the proposed payment plan? Some creditors require a payment to the
credit counselor before accepting you into a DMP. If a credit counselor tells
you this is so, call your creditors to verify this information before you send
money to the credit counseling agency.
How will enrolling in a DMP affect my credit? Beware of any
organization that tells you it can remove accurate negative information from
your credit report. Legally, it can’t be done. Accurate negative information
may stay on your credit report for up to seven years.
Can you get my creditors to “re-age” my accounts — that is,
to make my accounts current? If so, how many payments will I have to make
before my creditors will do so? Even if your accounts are “re-aged,” negative
information from past delinquencies or late payments will remain on your credit
report.
How to Make a DMP
Work for You
The following steps will help you benefit from a DMP, and
avoid falling further into debt.
Continue to pay your bills until the plan has been approved
by your creditors. If you stop making payments before your creditors have
accepted you into a plan, you’ll face late fees, penalties, and negative
entries on your credit report.
Contact your creditors and confirm that they have accepted
the proposed plan before you send any payments to the credit counseling
organization for your DMP.
Make sure the organization’s payment schedule allows your
debts to be paid before they are due each month. Paying on time will help you
avoid late fees and penalties. Call each of your creditors on the first of
every month to make sure the agency has paid them on time.
Review monthly statements from your creditors to make sure
they have received your payments.
If your debt management plan depends on your creditors
agreeing to lower or eliminate interest and finance charges, or waive late
fees, make sure these concessions are reflected on your statements.