In times of high stress, it is extremely difficult to be objective.  You may be struggling and worried.  Unfortunately, companies prey on people when they are in these kinds of states.  They will get you worked up on the phone talking about all your financial problems, then they will offer you a lifeboat which many times is too good to be true.

 So how can you figure out someone’s agenda?  Well, when your friend’s or family make a recommendation to you their agenda is usually just out of wanting to help you.  Maybe a journalist or writer will give you honest opinions because they want you to trust them and buy their books at a later time. 

 To be perfectly honest, 9 times out of 10 on the internet the information you are reading is in front of you because you were targeted and because someone has an agenda of making money.  Even the so-called “not for profit” organizations that just want to help you find solutions make money if you enter a debt management program based off of their referral.

 Debt relief programs are marketed under many different names.  These may include credit counseling, debt consolidation, debt settlement, debt management, financial planning, financial counseling and many more.  While some of these options may actually be a good choice for you, do not be naive when listening to a sales pitch from someone offering you those services.  One way or another they will be making money off of you.

 Even the Federal Trade Commission recommends that consumers “read between the lines” when they are hearing pitches from these types of companies. 

 There are some things you can do to make sure you are entering into a safe debt relief program.  First of all, outweigh the pros and cons of the offer.  There are ALWAYS cons and you need to find out what they are.  This information probably will not come out of the mouth of someone trying to sell you a service.  Secondly, research the state and federal regulatory agencies regarding the type of debt relief you are seeking.  Find out what laws are there to protect you and if the company you are dealing with is in good standing with these regulations.