Well, straight answers are not easy to give, however there are some key facts you definitely need to take into account, which will help you narrow that list of possibilities:

• If the company you are going to settle for, is under the umbrella of NFCC (National Foundation for Credit Counseling), then you can entrust your debt related issues to its members.
  
  
• Avoid family-run businesses when you seek safe financial advice and guiding for your debt related problems.
  
  
• NGO => Non Governmental Organization is a first sign that this is a legally constituted body you are dealing with, less business targeted.
  
  
• The credit counselor should be a very well trained professional, who has a vast knowledge in financial management related issues. You can actually form an idea whether you are talking to a professional or not, in the first few minutes of a conversation.
  
• Credit counseling companies do not offer financial advice only for those who are already buried in debts. So, if you have a clean credit history and you wish to keep it that way for many years, a credit counseling agency/company is able to offer you good guidance.
  
  
• It will cost you if you turn to a credit counseling company, but how much it will cost you? Stay away from variable fees or hidden charges. You should be always able to get clear information as to how much the respective program will cost you. No monthly or startup fee should exceed $40.
  
  
• Don’t forget that you are looking for guidance at a credit counseling company because you cannot manage finances by yourself. Thus, you should observe changes towards the better after you have contracted the services of such an agency. If you cannot tell the difference, then there probably isn’t any!

Try to have the above highlighted ideas as guidance when you are about to choose a credit counseling company. Certainly, there are many other points you should have in mind, but if you note the most important ones, than you will definitely be able to choose the right service for your particular needs. Ideally, there are not limitations on the part of these credit counseling services as to how great the amounts you owe are. You should get counseling, and be able to enter one of their programs whether you owe $5,000 or $50,000 equally. A well established agency will always put at your disposal tools which you can use as self –educational ones. For example, a well updated website where you can read articles, news, perhaps the existence of a discussion forum, all these will give you that feeling of comfort, that you have put your financial issues into good hands for a good result. Plus, always make sure you carefully read through any fine prints, contracts, otherwise you might skip very important notifications. The contract you will sign has to look like a true contract with every specification made clear, from the term of it, to every single detail or extra fee you have to pay.

The “Beware” signs include the following:

• When you go to the interview/appointment, among other brochures, you will also be handed on “promotional material” where you can observe that you can take up a loan with the same agency. Perhaps you should move on and extend your research
  
  
• Also, a more than usual encouraging approach from the part of the counselor is a sign of concern. If you think realistically, then you know that it is not going to be that easy to come out of that debt. So, you will want realistically founded approaches from a credit counselor as well.