http://www.thedebtconsolidationstore.com/debt-management/n44.html Debt management services can be your saving grace when it comes to solving your debt problems. Learn about debt management services here. en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 In the Past... In the past if you had debt problems, your only alternative was bankruptcy. Most people tended to avoid bankruptcy like the plague because it leaves a scar on your credit report for ten years. But then credit card companies started offering credit to people who had bankruptcy. People who had filed for bankruptcy could even get car loans and mortgages. The difference was they'd pay a higher interest rate. For some, this was their way to rebuild their credit. But for others, they just kept incurring more and more debt and filing for bankruptcy multiple times. They figured they had nothing to lose. But in the past 20 years, the debt management services industry was born. Debt management services provide consumers mired deep in debt with an alternate way out. And with the number of consumers filing for bankruptcy on the rise, Congress recently passed a law requiring anyone who files for bankruptcy to go through a debt management program first. What a ringing endorsement. A Brighter Future Debt management services offer many different debt management programs to help consumers get rid of their debt, usually in five years of less. Debt management services look at your financial situation as well as your resources to help them determine which debt management program will be best for you. And there are five to choose from: debt consolidation, debt consolidation loans, debt consolidation mortgages, student loan debt consolidation and debt settlement. Of these five, there's at least one for everyone, but some people have more than one option to choose from. (Again, it depends on your situation and resources.) Just like there are many different types of debt management programs, there are also many different types of debt management services. There are all kinds of niches in the debt management services industry, like free debt management, Christian debt management, non-profit debt management, bad credit debt management and more. There are a couple of ways to find a good debt management service. One way is to go online and fill out the secure, no-obligation forms many debt management services have on their websites. Within 24 hours they'll return recommendations to you about your situation. Then you can compare the recommendations and start narrowing your field of choices. After that, make sure you only consider companies that are nationally certified and accredited (and their counselors are too). Make sure they have a physical street address and make sure they are willing to answer your questions. And finally, avoid any that request payment before they provide any services. Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT