Does Credit Counseling Work? Initiative Reveals Cold Hard Facts

Over the years, consumers and reporters have asked me many times whether credit counseling “works.” Reporters wonder whether it’s a legitimate solution for those in debt, while debtors want to know, “Will it work for me so I can get out of debt?”

It’s an important question. Credit counseling is often promoted as the best option for consumers who are having trouble managing debt. In fact, the Credit CARD Act requires credit card issuers to publish, on card statements, a toll-free number for consumers to get credit counseling help.

But until recently, data about the success (or failure) rates of credit counseling programs has been hard to come by. When asked, counseling agencies will often point to numbers of consumers they have helped, or talk about the educational services they provide to consumers. Critics, meanwhile, counter that these programs offer far too little relief, only help a fraction of the people who are in over their heads, or even that counselors are really glorified debt collectors.

[Related:  Join the Debt Diet Challenge with Jean Chatzky & Credit.com]

Now one national counseling agency, Cambridge Credit Counseling, is revealing detailed data about its credit counseling business. Its Transparency Project finally sheds light on whether credit counseling works, and how many consumers it helps.

“This marks the very first time I can think of when a credit counseling agency has embraced disclosing its performance measurements,” says Steve Rhode, founder of GetOutOfDebt.org. Rhode formerly founded and ran a national credit counseling agency. When writing this story, I asked the National Foundation for Credit Counseling whether similar information was available from member agencies, but I was told it was not.

First, some quick background: When consumers contact a credit counseling agency, they are typically offered a counseling session where they share information about their income, expenses and debts. As a result of that consultation, they may be offered a Debt Management Plan (DMP). Debtors who decide to enroll in a DMP will receive concessions from some or all participating creditors, usually in the form of lower interest rates and/or waiver of penalty fees such as late fees. In a DMP, debtors must typically repay 100% of the principal balance owed, plus interest, to participating creditors within 60 months or less.

According to Cambridge Credit Counseling’s Transparency Project’s 2010 results:

• After a comprehensive credit review, counselors recommended a Debt Management Plan (DMP) to just over one-third (34%) of consumers. Just under one-quarter (23%) of consumers enrolled in a DMP.
• Of those who enrolled in a DMP, the typical Cambridge client received an interest rate reduction from 21.62% to 7.96%, saving $181.86 in interest charges per month. Payments were reduced by $192.70.
• In 2010, Cambridge clients who completed their DMP had done so in an average of 41 months.
• Clients paid an average initial fee of $41.55 and $24.99 per month for the service.  (Fees were waived or reduced for about 27% of clients.) Creditors also paid the agency an average $12.32 per account per payment, in what’s called “Fair Share.”

So now let’s go back to the question, “Does credit counseling work?” Here are the conclusions I drew…

Does Credit Counseling Work? (cont.) »

Image: David Goehring

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Tagged as: credit counseling, debt management program

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Gerri Detweiler Gerri Detweiler is Credit.com's Director of Consumer Education. She focuses on helping people understand their credit and debt, and writes about those issues, as well as financial legislation, budgeting, debt recovery and savings strategies. She is also the co-author of Debt Collection Answers: How to Use Debt Collection Laws to Protect Your Rights, and Reduce Stress: Real-Life Solutions for Solving Your Credit Crisis as well as host of TalkCreditRadio.com.