There are any number of places you can turn to for debt help regardless of the amount of debt you or your business is liable for. Some of these are legitimate, others are predatory and to be avoided.

Before you debt gets out of hand there are preemptive steps you can take prior to entering into a contract with creditors. Even if you have only limited to moderate debt it is still important to organize your finances in a way that makes the most sense for you. Do not engage yourself in any financial agreements without first understanding fully the terms of the agreement and their potential consequences for the future of your family or business. Furthermore, you can means test yourself. Simply account for your current income and expenses, take out an additional percentage for incidentals and unforeseen expenses, and estimate whether you can afford to take on any added debt. If the answer to this inquiry is yes, simply determine how much debt your are capable of/comfortable with taking on. Do not allow a salesman to pressure you in to a contract that is not right for you.

However, even with the most careful planning once such an agreement has been made – whether it be concerning a credit card, car loan, or mortgage – your fortunes can change rapidly. It does not require much imagination to recall the events of 2008 and the way in which responsible individuals, families, and businesses were plunged into debt thanks to the negligence of a few bad actors. In times such as these trustworthy and useful debt help can be hard to come by. There are bad actors who are out to profit off of the misfortunes […]