How can you choose the right debt relief firm when there are so many options? The clear first step is to research many companies at once and build a list of your favorites. Then you can contact the Better Business Bureau to see whether any of the companies on your list have ever received bad consumer feedback.

You can get recommendations from family or friends. This does not mean that you should air your dirty laundry all over the countryside, but if you know someone who has been in your shoes, ask them to refer you to the same company that helped them if they had a good experience.

Even if you get a referral, do your homework and find out everything you can about the organization you’ve been referred to. Then call them for a consultation or fill out the form on their website and they’ll contact you as soon as they can, usually within 24 hours or less.

Having too much debt can be frightening and intimidating. Not knowing if or when one of your creditors will file a lawsuit to try to reclaim their money, and knowing that even if they do, you will be unable to pay the court costs and other fees associated with the procedure. You’re doing everything you can, but the debt keeps building up.

Stop the tension, worry, and dread by engaging one of the many debt relief firms and customizing one of their debt relief plans to your specific circumstances. They can assist you by terminating the most, if not all, of the daily calls from your creditors that make you reluctant to answer the phone.

Be aware that dealing with a debt relief business to decrease and pay off your debt will take time. It is not going to happen overnight. You must ensure that your monthly payment is made on schedule. The debt relief company will deal with the creditors and make all the arrangements. They’ll work out a solution to cut your high-interest rates on your loans and credit cards, stop late fees and overdraft fees, and in most cases, you’ll only have to make one low monthly payment to an FDIC-insured third-party escrow account.

You’ll continue to receive statements from your credit card and loan companies. Examine these every month to ensure that payments are being paid and credited, and if you notice anything on your statement that you believe is incorrect, contact the debt reduction firm and request that they investigate and correct the situation.

Debt reduction plans can save you hundreds of dollars in interest and finance charges while also lowering your monthly payments and reducing your stress.