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We Need Guidance - Can You Help?

We Need Guidance - Can You Help?

Q: Regarding our credit card debt. We want to get our debt in order, and I told my husband I’d start looking at alternatives to help bring some sense/sensibilities to our situation. We’d like someone to guide our “two person team” to help us make that happen.

Our challenge: We live in a rural area and traveling great distances is not easy on my husband. I also have a job with long hours (5 am – 5 pm) followed by 90 minute drive home. Is there any way using email and phone, to do 99% of this work using the technology we have? My husband can join by phone if needed for answers, but the lion’s share of knowledge and access to these accounts lays with me as he does not like internet and he stresses easily if mounting bills are mentioned. However, he understands we have a responsibility to address this debt. I can make myself available to do the “heavy lifting” on this project and my husband is 100% supportive.

Alternatively, we have considered going to a bank for a debt consolidation loan and are not entirely sure what comes first, credit counseling or the bank. Guidance on that decision would be helpful.

One last thing, am I alone in thinking I had to struggle with this type of surprise? I can absolutely see now how building our new home whacked our financial situation but not until we were done paying off the construction loan – then we realized “not enough in the budget to pay all of our expenses”. Of course, we sunk all our cash into the initial construction (permits, apps, etc) – adding in my commute with high gas prices and living in the RV on the construction site for 12 months…now the dust is settling and a huge miss is apparent.

Tell us what we need to do to bring some peace to our life and my sleep.

A: Believe me; you are not alone in your struggle! We help hundreds of clients every month who find themselves in need of financial help.

We will be more than happy to work with you, and appreciate your “team” approach!

Typically, our counseling sessions are completed over the phone. When you call, one of our Certified Credit Counselors will review your current financial situation and budget, and help determine the best solution for you. When you contact us it is very helpful to have your most recent creditor statements available. You may also start your application on line at americanfinancialsolutions.org but then must call a counselor to complete the counseling session.

We have Certified Credit Counselors available Monday thru Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Just call 1.888.282.5494 and enter the option for the next available counselor.

Be sure to review the resources and free classes that are available online. They are very helpful.

By Steve Axtell


Published Sep 24, 2008.