There are many different meanings for the term consumer credit counseling.

In it’s simplest form, credit counselling is the process where you meet with a credit counselor and they give you advice on managing your money. They will help you deal with credit card debt, and they will explain how to improve your credit score on your credit report.

In addition, if you are planning to file for personal bankruptcy in the United States, they will conduct the mandatory credit counseling before filing bankruptcy, and the post bankruptcy filing credit counseling session. In Canada, the credit counsellor will conduct the credit counselling during the bankruptcy process.

Finally, a credit counselor will actually negotiate with your creditors on your behalf through a Debt Management Program where you make one payment each month to deal with your debts.

For more information, consult a local credit counselor.

If you live in the United States, you must attend a credit counseling session no earlier than 180 days before you file personal bankruptcy. Mandatory credit counseling before filing bankruptcy became law in October, 2005.

You must complete your credit counseling session, and have a certificate proving that you have completed your credit counseling session, or else the court will dismiss your bankruptcy case, and you will not receive protection from your creditors.

This credit counseling session must be completed by an approved credit counselor. If you are considering filing bankruptcy, either under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, we suggest you contact a qualified bankruptcy attorney or credit counselor to explain to you the process in detail, so that you meet all of the requirements and understand all of your obligations before you go to court.

If you have a lot of credit card debt or other types of debt, there are two very common ways to eliminate your debt: consumer credit counseling or personal bankruptcy.

Personal bankruptcy may be an option for you, but there are a number of disadvantages to personal bankruptcy.

First, no-one wants to go bankrupt. Second, with a bankruptcy on your credit report it may be more difficult to borrow in the future. Third, there are costs associated with bankruptcy, including legal fees.

For those reasons, many people use credit counseling as a way to avoid bankruptcy. People go bankrupt to stop their creditors from calling, and to prevent legal action. Credit counseling can accomplish the same objective.

Your credit counselor will put you on a Debt Management Program where you make one payment each month to deal with your debts. Once the payment plan is in place, your creditors are no longer calling or threatening you, so credit counseling becomes a great strategy to avoid bankruptcy.