Guides
Guides and answers
71 questions, answered from Cambridge Credit Counseling's own approved sources. Every page says where its figures came from. If yours is not here, a counselor can answer it directly and the call is free.
Debt management plans 13
How a plan works, what it did for our typical client, and what it does to your credit.
- What is the difference between credit counseling and debt settlement?
- Customer support for Cambridge clients
- How Long Does a Debt Management Plan Take?
- Frequently asked questions
- How Does Credit Counseling Affect Your Credit Score?
- Is a debt management plan a loan?
- Is Nonprofit Credit Counseling Worth It?
- Nonprofit vs For-Profit Debt Help: What Is the Difference?
- Welcome, Pioneer Credit Counseling clients
- What Does a Nonprofit Credit Counselor Actually Do?
- What Happens in Your First Credit Counseling Session?
- What Is a Debt Management Plan and How Does It Work?
- What Is Credit Counseling?
What is free 4
Free credit counseling, how Cambridge is funded, and how a plan's fees are set.
Choosing an agency 6
How to tell a legitimate nonprofit from the rest.
- What Are the Risks of Debt Settlement?
- Debt Settlement vs. Debt Management Plan: What Is the Difference?
- How Do I Choose a Credit Counseling Agency?
- How Do I Know If a Credit Counseling Agency Is Legitimate?
- How Do I Know If a Credit Counseling Service Is Legit and Worth Using?
- What Exactly Is the Federal Reserve and Why Does It Matter to My Money?
If something has gone wrong 7
Job loss, falling behind, collectors, court.
- I Have $20,000 in Credit Card Debt and Can Only Make Minimum Payments. What Should I Do?
- What should I do if I cannot afford my credit card payments this month?
- I just lost my job. What do I need to know about my health insurance, mortgage, and bills?
- Who Can Help Me Talk to My Credit Card Companies About Lowering My Interest Rates?
- How do I stop living paycheck to paycheck when credit card debt keeps growing?
- How Do I Get Out of Payday Loan Debt?
- What options do I have to avoid bankruptcy with credit card debt?
Your rights 4
What collectors and lenders may and may not do.
Credit reports 4
What is on yours, and how to correct it.
Effect on your credit 2
What helps, what hurts, and for how long.
Credit cards 3
Minimum payments, applications, and the arithmetic behind them.
Housing and mortgages 3
Modification, foreclosure, buying, and renting.
Student loans 5
Federal programs, repayment, and who to talk to.
- What Exactly Is a Federal Direct Loan and How Do I Qualify?
- What happened to my Federal Perkins Loan and how do I pay it back now?
- What repayment plans can I choose from with my FFEL loan and how often can I switch?
- How Long Do I Have to Pay Back My HEAL Loan, and How Is the Interest Rate Figured?
- What Exactly Is a Stafford Loan and How Do I Know If I Qualify?
Retirement 1
Plans, contributions, and the rules that govern them.
Paying debt down 1
Methods, order, and what actually shortens the wait.
Budgeting 1
Working out what is left before deciding what to do with it.
What Cambridge does 5
The services themselves, in detail.
- Do I Need Counseling Before Filing Bankruptcy, and Where Do I Get the Certificate?
- Where can first-time homebuyers get a homebuyer education course?
- What Is HECM Reverse Mortgage Counseling and Is It Required?
- Who Offers Legitimate Student Loan Counseling That Is Not a Scam?
- Where can I get HUD-approved housing counseling for foreclosure help?
Why trust Cambridge 11
Nonprofit status, approvals, and who regulates them.
- Who Cambridge Credit Counseling is
- How Do I Avoid Credit Repair Scams?
- Is Cambridge Credit Counseling Legitimate, and What Do People Say About Them?
- Contact Cambridge Credit Counseling
- Corporate officers and board of directors
- Counselor certifications and agency accreditations
- Required disclosures and state licenses
- Are Nonprofit Credit Counseling Agencies Legit?
- How Cambridge Credit Counseling handles your personal information
- The terms that apply to this website
- What Is It Like to Work at Cambridge Credit Counseling, and How Do I Apply?