It can be hard to find a way to pay the bills when you find yourself up to your eyeballs in debt.
When this happens, many people turn to debt consolidation services to help them manage their debt and pay their bills.
This works well for some people, though others have had horrible experiences.
Don't let the negative experiences of others scare you away from consolidating your debt and getting a firm grip on your bills.
Do your due diligence and you are sure to find a service to assist you in consolidating your debt that you can trust.
Ask for all of the paperwork to review before you sign anything.
Legalese can be difficult to decipher without some time to review it and let it digest.
Make sure that you read absolutely everything and understand all of it.
Bring any documents that you do not understand to a lawyer to review.
Compare the fees associated with the various debt consolidation services.
These services obviously do not offer their services for free, since they couldn't possibly be in business if that were the case.
Expect to pay some fees, but make sure that they are manageable and will not simply put you further into debt.
Ask for client references.
Your service should have names and phone numbers of real clients that they have assisted that should be able to act as referrals for them.
Make sure that you make some time to actually call some of these clients and ask candidly about their experiences before you commit to anything.
Be weary of any company that does not have references.
Casually discuss consolidating debt with friends and family.
Many people will volunteer that they have used or are using a service to assist them in consolidating their debt.
Usually, these people are more than willing to share with you their experiences, be they positive or negative.
Look further into any positive referral from someone you know.