How Free Debt Counseling Services Can Help You Get Ahead Word Count: 356 Summary: Getting into debt is easy for almost anyone to do, but getting back out is much more difficult. In some cases, the only way a person can get ahead of their debt is with the help of a specialist in credit counseling. Many of these services are free and can help you create a plan to pay off your debt without adding further fees to it. There are several different types of counseling services available. The first offers advice and guidance only. They'll assess your current fin... Keywords: credit card debt, credit card bill, debt consolidation, credit card loans, credit cards online Article Body: Getting into debt is easy for almost anyone to do, but getting back out is much more difficult. In some cases, the only way a person can get ahead of their debt is with the help of a specialist in credit counseling. Many of these services are free and can help you create a plan to pay off your debt without adding further fees to it. There are several different types of counseling services available. The first offers advice and guidance only. They'll assess your current financial situation and the various debts that you have outstanding. They then take this information and put it together into a plan for you to manage the debt. The details of the plan will vary depending on just what your debt situation is at the time. They don't take any action however - it's up to you to put the plan into practice. Other debt counseling services go beyond simply creating a plan for you. They will actually talk to the various creditor you owe money and work to get a better deal for you, whether a lower interest rate or a discount on the amount you owe. They will set up a payment program for you and then you're responsible for paying them the amount that must be paid out on your behalf every month. That money is then paid to all your creditors. This type of service is helpful if you find it difficult to follow a debt repayment plan without specific guidance, or if you don't have the willpower to make the payments every month rather than running up even more credit debt. Some credit counseling services will also help you with monthly budgeting. This can be a great help for people who are unable to stop spending or do not track what they spend very effectively. When choosing a credit counseling service, due your due diligence. There are some shady operations that may charge you unnecessary fees or may not distribute the money you pay them to the correct people, so be sure you get some references and are sure the service you're dealing with is genuine.