InCharge

““It’s so much more meaningful when you know your extra money can go for a family vacation instead of, oh yeah, another credit card bill.’’”

““We are so happy,’’ Stephanie said. “When we looked at the (computer) screen and saw we were 98% debt free and we had just one payment to make, we were literally bouncing up and down.”

““Everybody there was helpful, but it’s easier to deal with one person who knows your situation and you don’t have to explain everything to. That has been Omar for us.””

““We called them,” Rebecca said. “Our counselor, Omar Landrau, called back the next day. We had it straightened out right away. The company was getting paid every month, but they didn’t have a record of it. Omar worked hard on this. He told me, I’m your person here. Whenever I call, I ask for him. He always calls back right away.”

““I actually tried a couple of other places first,” Rebecca said. “None of them ever called back. My mother told me about InCharge, and they called back right away.””

““So, I spoke to a counselor who gave me some suggestions about what I could do to get out from under my debt. My counselor was great. I thought about what she said for a while, and it made sense.””

““I told InCharge any recommendation you need from me I can give.  They put me in a position where I can live a peaceful life.””

““If I hadn’t gotten into the InCharge Debt Solutions program, I would’ve still been paying off credit card debt into my 80s,” he said. “Hoping to get it paid off by the grave.”

“Anyone can do what we did if they embrace the help that is available through an NFCC member agency, and are willing to change their financial habits and maintain a “whatever it takes” mentality.”

“We can thankfully say that we learned our lesson well. Today we have our mortgage and one major credit card – which we use judiciously – and pay the balance in full each month. We have not paid a penny of interest for unsecured debt since completing the Debt Management Program through Family Means Consumer Credit Counseling Service, an NFCC member agency based in Stillwater, MN. That’s not to say that we haven’t been tempted, but when we think of where we once were financially and how hard we worked as a family to dig out, there is no going back to the bondage of debt again.”

““Hey, whatever we’ve got to do, let’s do it,” she said.”

““It sounded like a great plan,” Hynson said.”

““The ironic thing is that my parents taught me how to manage money. I knew the dark side of credit cards, but when you see something you want, it’s too easy to swipe a card and forget about the consequences. InCharge counselors did a great job of reminding me of that and I won’t forget it.””

““We’ve got a good plan, now we just have to stick to it,” Tina said. “It’s only March and we’ll see where we are in December, but there is a real feeling of freedom now that we’re out of debt.”

““I don’t know how many times I’ve called back since then to make extra payments and check balances or just ask questions and every single counselor I spoke with was so nice. Not one of them has been judgmental and that really made an impression on me.””

““The counselor was so nice and so helpful. She took me through a whole budgeting process, we filled in all the numbers and I still use that budget to this day.”

““It really is pretty incredible,” Tina said. “I mean, we were in so deep that we felt trapped, but with help from InCharge, we managed to get out. I tell our story to people at work, to family or friends. Anytime the conversation comes up about money troubles, I tell them this story.””

““Debt is definitely a taboo topic,” Tina Bright said. “Nobody wants to talk about it and all that does is make it harder, lonelier and scarier, all at the same time.””

““I’m not there yet, but already I can feel a sense of relief and accomplishment,” Hart said. “I hope I can look back at this time of my life and see the lessons I learned and use them to assist others. I wouldn’t want anyone to experience this kind of stress in their life.””

““My girls have things come up and there are things I need to fix around the house and other places I could send the money,” Hart said. “If I’m sitting there making the decision at my table every month, I could see where I might set the check (for the DMP) aside and use that money on the girls or the house. “I can’t do that with automatic withdrawal. I had to be disciplined about having the money in my account on the first of every month. That really helped me keep on track.””

““I know that bankruptcy is all some people can do, but that’s not me,” Hart said. “I borrowed that money, I owed that money and I was trying to find a way to pay it back.””

““The shackles are finally coming off,” Hart said, triumphantly.  “Debt has had me locked up for so long and caused me so much stress that I can’t wait for September 1. That is going to be a very good day in my life.””

““The counselors at InCharge did a great job of showing me how to budget so now I’m even starting a retirement account. “I feel a thousand percent better about the future of my finances. I have no clouds over my head anymore. I can control my future. I even called my Mom and bragged to her that I’m completely out of debt. That felt really good.””

““I was down in the 200s when I started the program with InCharge, but my credit score is up around 670 now,” Bell said. “That’s not great, but it’s a hell of a lot better that I was. At least now I have some credit where before I couldn’t get any.””

““That’s when I found InCharge Debt Solutions,” Bell said. “I called them and the first thing the counselor told me was ‘Don’t file for bankruptcy. We can help.’ “And they did. They saved my life debt wise.””