The best part of my job comes right after the worst part of my job.
Nothing makes me happier than hearing from former clients who have transformed their lives. Over the past two decades, I’ve spoken with hundreds who have finally bought their dream home or taken their dream vacation, all while staying out of debt.
But before I hear the good news, I hear the terrible news. When they call Consolidated Credit, they’re in financial trouble, and you can hear the stress in their voices. Their credit card debt casts a shadow over their entire lives.
One of our new clients is Ruben. He’s been on a debt management program for three months now.
“I got into accumulated debt for a variety of reasons,” Ruben told me. “I was going through a divorce. I sold my house. And I had to take a leave of absence from work. That’s when things started piling on.”
I asked what he meant by “piling on,” although I guessed the answer.
“I was paying high interest rates,” he says. “Once the missed payments started, the interest rate just tacked on real quick. They went from a minimum payment of about $200 a month to $1,100 and $1,200 a month for a minimum payment.”
That’s the quicksand of credit card debt. Once you fall behind, you start sinking even faster. There’s no way out – not without a helping hand.
Yet Ruben was in good spirits when I spoke with him, because Consolidated Credit is pulling him out of that quicksand. He says his mood changed from the moment he first spoke with a certified credit counselor.
“The initial appointment was a relief,” he says. “I didn’t expect to talk to somebody. I expected it to be more automatic. But she was taking down numbers while reassuring me that she was going to work with me. She actually told me, ‘You know, I know you might be nervous or worried, but just relax, and we’re going to work through this.”
That was a relief for Ruben.
“When I first started this, I had more than just financial problems. I had family issues and work issues. I was worried about not being able to provide for my family,” he says.
Today, he feels very differently: “Consolidated Credit gives you a better outlook on things, and you have a bright outlook on the future. And you can say, ‘Hey, I can get out of this hole.’ You just have to keep taking one step at a time.”
Nothing pleases me more than hearing new clients – and not just graduates – expressing their relief that both their debts and their stress are disappearing. I hope you’ll consider calling us, too.
