Upfront fees – Most credit counselors will ask for nothing more than a small fee for opening up a case file for you.  Avoid those asking for large fees upfront or asking for agreements entitling them to fees from you when they perform. 

• If they aren’t accredited, they might not be legitimate --
• Look for accreditation with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (www.nfcc.org)  or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (www.aiccca.org).

• If they sound too good to be true – Then they probably are.  Be wary of promises to completely repair your credit and restore your balances, all at no cost with no impact to your credit rating.  It doesn’t work that way.  They may be out to pocket your first payments to your creditors that normally pass through the counseling agencies, then disappear.

There are plenty of options out there these days, unlike just a few years ago.  Don’t settle for a credit counseling agency that fails to meet the simple tests mentioned here.  You don’t have to, and it may severely hurt you and your credit in the long run.