Debt Consolidation Search is a nationwide directory of debt consolidators, debt managers, and debt counseling agencies.  You can search by state or major metropolitan area for firms that can help you get your bills paid and your credit restored.

Choosing a debt consolidation company can be confusing.  There are TV commercials, Internet ads, well-meaning friends and strangers who all have opinions about who should help you, and much of the information is conflicting.
Whether you need to consolidate student loans, mortgage debt, credit card debt, or all of the above, you need to choose a firm carefully.  Some can be very helpful, but some can also end up costing you money and actually making your credit score and debt situation worse.

Being in debt and having poor credit is stressful and makes life difficult in many ways, but there are ways of restoring your financial health.  A good debt consolidation firm can help you avoid bankruptcy by reducing your bills, organizing them into one monthly payment, and offering debt counseling to help you maintain financial security.

There are several signs that you are dealing with a reputable debt consolodator, and several signs of potential trouble.
Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there have been any unresolved complaints filed against the debt management company.  While even a reputable company can have people who’ve complained about them, a long string of unresolved issues is a bad sign.

Also beware debt consolidation firms that tell you to stop paying your bills, unless they have started paying them for you.  Stopping payment before an agreement has been reached with the creditor will usually just add more late fees, make your FICO score worse and make it harder to resolve your issues.

The fact that a debt consolidator has “non-profit” status may be misleading.  “Not-for-profit” is a legal status for tax purposes that basically means the company doesn’t have stockholders.  That doesn’t mean that the organization is a charity or that the owners of the company aren’t making lots of money from what they do.

Also check out our resources pages, and feel free to ask questions in our forum.  If you are a debt consolidator,  or if you represent a debt consolodation firm, please register to list your website in our directory.  Listings are free and give you exposure to millions of potential clients.