Honest Credit Repair
How to locate advice you can trust.

Credit counseling is a fine idea. The government thinks so highly of it that the law now requires you to get credit counseling within six months of filing for bankruptcy.
Trouble is, the field has more than its share of shady operators who charge hidden fees, misrepresent their nonprofit status and offer questionable advice. Now a new source can steer you to a reputable counselor. The U.S. Trustee's office vets credit-counseling agencies and lists 132 approved firms in the Credit Counseling & Debtor Education section of its Web site. You'll find contact information and Web addresses, plus you can see if a firm does business in person, over the phone or online.
Look for fees of $50 or less (sessions limited to budgeting generally cost less than $20). A counselor meets with you for 60 to 90 minutes, reviews your financial situation and offers budgeting advice. Avoid agencies that press you to enter a debt-management program, under which you give your bills and payments to the agency, which in turn pays your creditors and negotiates debt relief, if necessary. Some agencies focus on this arrangement because creditors pay them to sign up consumers.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

As the "Ask Kim" columnist for Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Lankford receives hundreds of personal finance questions from readers every month. She is the author of Rescue Your Financial Life (McGraw-Hill, 2003), The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on Insurance -- and Still Get the Coverage You Need (Kaplan, 2006), Kiplinger's Ask Kim for Money Smart Solutions (Kaplan, 2007) and The Kiplinger/BBB Personal Finance Guide for Military Families. She is frequently featured as a financial expert on television and radio, including NBC's Today Show, CNN, CNBC and National Public Radio.
-
AI vs the Stock Market: How Did Alphabet, Nike and Industrial Stocks Perform in June?
AI is a new tool to help investors analyze data, but can it beat the stock market? Here's how a chatbot's stock picks fared in June.
-
Stock Market Today: A Historic Quarter Closes on High Notes
"All's well that ends well" is one way to describe the second quarter of 2025, at least from a pure price-action perspective.
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb
real estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute Vacation
Travel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
-
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
insurance When assessing how much life insurance you need, take a systematic approach instead of relying on rules of thumb.
-
When Is Amazon Prime Day? Everything We Know So Far, Plus Early Deals
Amazon Prime Here are the key Amazon Prime Day dates and details you need to know, plus some of our favorite early deals to shop ahead of the sale.
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Steps
insurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
-
Five Ways to Shop for a Low Mortgage Rate
Becoming a Homeowner Mortgage rates are high this year, but you can still find an affordable loan with these tips.
-
Retirees, It's Not Too Late to Buy Life Insurance
life insurance Improvements in underwriting have made it easier to qualify for life insurance, which can be a useful estate-planning tool.