I've always been relatively good about my finances. I was a typical 20 something-year-old who was late paying rent and bills a few times, but other than that, I've managed to keep myself mostly debt-free.
My husband and I got married 5 years ago, and we even bought a home just shy of our 1-year anniversary.
We both have jobs that we love, but unfortunately, when the world took a turn – his company laid off everyone from their regional office. It was a blow for us, but these things happen- a lot of people are in the same boat right now.
We stayed relatively positive, but we found ourselves relying more and more on our credit cards as the months went on. I didn't realize how tough it would be going from two incomes to one.
Between a mortgage, two car loan payments, and our other expenses, our savings really took a real hit.
Even though we were spending all of our time at home, after just 3 months, we had maxed out three credit cards and were stuck in a cycle of just paying off the minimum amounts due every month.
One day as my husband was applying online for jobs, he saw an ad for Consolidated Credit. It said they could help us get out debt faster by combining all of our credit card bills into one, simplified monthly payment plan.
Their certified credit counselors would work with our creditors to reduce or eliminate the interest rates applied to our debts.
Filling out the form took less than two minutes, and a certified credit counselor called us back right away. He reviewed our debts, credit, and budget, so we had a better understanding of where we stood.
He explained all of the options we had for debt relief, so we could make an informed decision. Then he worked with us find a monthly payment that would work for our budget.
We had a lot of questions since we'd never used and a service like this before, and he answered them all, and he said the counseling team would be there with us every step of the way in case we had other questions.
They would also provide support to help us learn better financial strategies moving forward so that once we finished the program, we could maintain stability and stay debt-free.
The biggest question we had was how this would affect our credit. Our credit counselor explained that the program would help us build positive credit history with all of our credit card accounts.
Unlike debt settlement and bankruptcy, using this program would create no negative information in our credit report, which could drag down our credit scores.
We enrolled in a debt management program with Consolidated Credit, and I can't tell you what a relief it has been.
Now, we only make one total payment every month, and the credit counseling disburses the amount among each of the credit card companies based on the new payment schedule that was arranged on our behalf, cutting down our biggest debts first.
On months where we have a little extra cash to spare, we simply contact Consolidated Credit and pay off a little more. It feels great to be paying off our debt, and my husband has finally has a few interviews lined up, so we're confident we're on our way to a debt-free future.
With so many things happening in the world right now, it can feel overwhelming. But being in debt doesn't have to be the end of the world. That's how it felt for me. But Consolidated Credit makes it easy to get on top of your finances, and I finally have peace of mind and security.
Update: Consolidated Credit is offering our readers a free phone call with a certified credit counselor! Check them out to see how they can help you by following this link, or call 1-(844) 325-0121 to take advantage of this offer.