Before you start
US consumer credit counseling. This prepares a conversation; it does not recommend enrollment, verify a provider or qualify you for bankruptcy counseling.
1. Check who is offering help
A nonprofit label does not establish that an organization is free, affordable or legitimate. The CFPB suggests asking about counselor training, available services, fees and employee incentives. Request a written price for the first session and any later service. Ask what help remains available if you cannot pay. Check relevant licensing and complaints with your state consumer authority; an empty complaint record is not a guarantee.
2. Prepare a folder with a clear reference date
Gather recent pay records, benefit or other income statements, essential bills, loan contracts and creditor statements. Include debts outside credit cards, arrears, collection letters and any court papers. Keep actual identifying documents privately for the verified counselor. In these optional notes, use Debt A and Document B. Mark a missing record as missing instead of entering zero. Ask whether the counselor needs several months to understand irregular earnings.
3. Make the budget usable
Separate reliable take-home income from money you hope to receive. Include rent, food, transport, utilities, insurance and irregular costs before proposing a debt payment. Write down due dates as well as monthly totals. Tell the counselor if the income or household situation is changing. Ask how a proposal handles months with less cash, debts excluded from a plan and provider charges. A smooth monthly average can still hide a shortfall before payday.
4. Leave with choices and written next steps
Ask the counselor to explain the options considered and why each fits or fails your situation. A debt management plan, or DMP, sends payments through an agency to participating creditors; it is not a new loan. If one is proposed, take away the creditor list, payment allocation and fees. Confirm creditor acceptance before sending plan payments. You can request time to review the agreement. Record who will answer unresolved questions and how to arrange a follow-up.
Fictional example: check the documents
A fictional household records $2,800 reliable monthly take-home income, $2,250 essential and irregular expenses, and $620 current debt payments. The arithmetic leaves $550 before debt and a $70 shortfall after current payments: $2,800 − $2,250 − $620 = −$70.
The appointment folder includes the bill calendar and marks one annual expense estimate for checking. The counselor is asked whether any proposed total, including agency fees and excluded debts, fits the $550. That figure is a discussion starting point, not a recommended payment or proof that a DMP is appropriate.
Before you finish
- Written service and fee information
- Income records and essential-expense bills
- All creditor statements, contracts and urgent notices
- Missing figures and irregular costs identified
- Written options, unanswered questions and follow-up
My preparation notes
All notes are optional. Use labels such as Debt A and Document B. Keep identifying records, account numbers and tax IDs outside this page.
Entries are optional and stay in this page's memory. This worksheet does not send or save them. Use generic account labels and document labels. Do not enter account numbers, Social Security numbers, PINs, access codes, passwords, names or addresses, and do not upload documents. Downloading or printing creates a copy you control.
Keep the written proposal and review unresolved questions before choosing a service.
Put up to four documents or actions in order
Record a short fact, such as requested a quote, sent a question, or received written terms. Dates and document labels are optional. Use generic labels; keep actual documents and identifying details outside this tool.
This is a factual log. Dated events sort from oldest to newest. Events on the same date keep their entry order because times are unknown. Undated events appear separately, in entry order. A document reference is your own label, not proof that a record was verified.
Enter actual dates as YYYY-MM-DD. If a date is unknown, leave it blank; do not invent one. Dates are calendar dates, with no time zone or time-of-day comparison. This record does not calculate a legal deadline or schedule reminders.
Questions you may have
Must I enroll during the first appointment?
Ask for time to review. A useful session can produce a budget and options without committing to a plan. Do not sign an agreement you do not understand.
Is a government-approved counseling list an endorsement?
Approval for pre-bankruptcy counseling concerns that specific service. It does not endorse every service or replace checking fees, qualifications and suitability.