We would like to caution you against using these companies. Many of them, though they say they are non-profit can still find ways to make money off of their customers. A couple of good examples:
   
    There used to be a non-profit company called Genus who funneled $74 million dollars or so of their $134 million revenue through a for-profit company called Amerix by allowing Amerix to process customer payments. The founders of both companies happened to be the same person.

    Ameridebt, a non-profit organization used to steer consumers to a debt consolidation loan company called Infinity Resources. The consumers were persuaded to get loans from this company at 14-15% interest. You guessed it, one of the board of directors of Ameridebt owned Infinity Resources. The attorney general’s office in Washington, DC filed suit against Infinity. Ameridebt is no longer allowed to direct customers to Infinity.   In addition, the Presidents of these companies reported salaries of $350 million dollars for the 2000 calendar year.

    Ameridebt was finally shut down in 2003 after being investigated.

    None of these companies address the typical causes of consumer debt: poor budgeting. None of these companies has an office where a consumer can receive one-on-one counseling, all contact and business is done via the internet, fax, phone and mail.

    Debt Settlement/Debt Negotiation Companies

    These companies will tell you that they are different than debt consolidation companies. Well they are right – and wrong. The main difference is that the debt consolidation companies tell you that you are making a donation to the company so they can “help” others out. The debt settlement/debt negotiation companies are honest about the fees they charge for their services and are not non-profits. I’d rather work with people who are up front about the way they operate, frankly.

    But neither of these types of companies is a good deal. You can do this all yourself.

    Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS)

    If you really feel that you can’t handle debt settlement on your own, try Consumer Credit Counseling Services. This non-profit organization is funded by the credit card companies who received between 6 and 12 cents for every dollar they recover on your debts. There is rarely an additional fee, and all of their counselors are certified.

    To locate a CCCS office, look in your local phone book. There is an office in almost every city in America. They also have a national website:

http://www.nfcc.org