Marketplace

Search

Friday, April 17, 2009

Listen to the show

Counseling down credit debt

Buried in debt

Banks are reporting better-than-expected earnings this week, but experts say the next problem might involve credit card defaults. Tess Vigeland talks to credit counseler Gail Cunningham about helping consumers work through their debt.

Buried in debt (iStockPhoto)

More on The Economy, Investing, America's Financial Crisis

Comments

  • Comment | Refresh

  • By Jean Hughes

    From Avondale Estates, GA, 04/20/2009

    Some years ago I went to Consumer Credit Counseling to get my debt off my back. I paid it all off. Now a couple of things- doing this will still put a bad mark on your credit for 7 years because you are not paying the interest
    You also pay a "donation fee" to have it done. Not all creditors will agree to doing this with you
    I cut up all of my credit cards but one sometimes needs one for emergencies.
    Just think about it and get all of the information that you can about the process and also make sure you are dealing with a reputable company before signing any papers.

    By Jesse Isaacs

    From Louisville, KY, 04/20/2009

    I began a debt management plan towards the end of 2008. When discussing it with my parents, they offered to pay off all of my debts now and then I would repay them. While it was a tempting offer, I ultimately decided that I needed to go through the pain of repaying my debts so that I won't repeat my credit mistakes. 6 months in, I feel I'm finally making progress.

    By Aaron Aaron

    From Los Angeles, CA, 04/19/2009

    Hi Lilian,
    There are a few websites out there which can help your friend make a decision. I have found a lot of help on this forum:

    http://www.debt-consolidation-credit-repair-service.com/forums/

    Best of luck.

    By lilian young

    From chulavista, CA, 04/18/2009

    A very close person is about to declare bankruptcy. His debt is about 60 thousand dollars collector have been calling and calling. I tell him get counseling what you can do. He want to do it but with a serious institution. Where will be convenient to help help?

    By lilian young

    From chulavista, CA, 04/18/2009

    A very close person is about to declare bankruptcy. His debt is about 60 thousand dollars collector have been calling and calling. I tell him get counseling what you can do. He want to do it but with a serious institution

  • Post a Comment: Please be civil, brief and relevant.

    Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments are moderated. Marketplace reserves the right to edit any comments on this site and to read them on the air if they are extra-interesting. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting.

    * indicates required field

    *
    *
    *
     




     

    You must be 13 or over to submit information to American Public Media. The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party. For more information see Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Music From This Show

Podcast »

Listen to 'After the Bell'

In his weekly podcast, Scott Jagow makes sense of the week in business and the economy. Subscribe now.

The Whiteboard »

Hostile takeovers

Hostile TakeoversWatch the video

We all know what a takeover is. That's when one company agrees to be bought by another. But what happens when companies don't agree and the takeover goes hostile? Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch explains. Watch the video.

More Whiteboard Videos »

Getting Personal »
Chris Farrell

Q: Income-based student loans

You recently reported on a student loan option that was being offered as part of the government stimulus package, which is based on a person's income.... I was wondering if you could please let me know where to find this information. Thanks. Ethan, Minneapolis, MN Read Chris Farrell's answer »

Special Reports and Series

Built on Belief »

One year after the fall of Lehman Brothers, Americans' have lost faith in the financial system and learned some hard lessons. Get more.

The Big Shift »

The recession has changed our financial lives. A look at wealth and prosperity in the middle class and how we live now. Get more.

The Borrowers »

How living beyond our means helped bring down the economy. The role of personal debt in the financial crisis, and where we go from here. Get more.

The Next American Dream »

How four pillars of the American Dream are changing. What's in your future?

Taking Stock »

Conversations with individuals who can give us the long view of our economic situation. Get their views.

More Stories & Special Reports »

The Specials

GAME: Budget Hero

Budget Hero

Think you could balance the federal budget? Play the game.

Conversations from the Corner OfficeTM

Conversations From the Corner Office

Marketplace goes one-on-one with CEOs, company founders, head honchos...

Sit in

Working

Working

Intimate profiles of workers in the global economy.

Meet them

Marketplace on iTunes U

iTunes U

Marketplace is on Apple's online education platform, iTunesU. Get free downloads in subjects like History, Science, Business and more. Study up

American Public Media © |   Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy