Client Profile: Brenda R.

Profile of Breanda

When debt is too tough for even a cop to take down.

Brenda worked as a cop in a large metropolitan area in Florida. As tough as she was on crime, she was on her finances – making sure her money stayed in line. Unfortunately Brenda’s grandmother fell ill and she had to take care of both her and her grandmother’s bills. Her finances started going astray. To balance all those bills she used 15 credit cards and racked up $40,000 in debt. She admits that poor money management also contributed to her financial downfall.

Now she will be debt free in 3 months.

“Taking care of two households is very hard, money gets spent really fast,” Brenda says. “My grandmother didn’t have insurance and Medicare would only pay so much, so I was responsible for getting healthcare nurses and all that kind of stuff. Next thing I turned around I had so many bills, too many bills.”

 

As the bills piled on so did Brenda’s frustration…

“I knew I needed to do something,” she says. “At first I was skeptical because it sounded too good to be true. They basically said, ‘send us this amount of money and we’ll pay all your bills. The creditors will stop calling you.’ But Consolidated Credit negotiated lower interest rates and the collection calls stopped.”

Brenda is awed! Her credit score got a boost and her access to credit increased…

I tell you this program is fantastic!” she exclaimed. “My total debt was about $40,000 and I’m almost at the end of it. Thank Goodness. I thought I would never ever be able to pay this off. My credit score was in the 500’s and is now in the 700’s. I was able to get a brand new car and a house without needing a co-signer.  My inbox gets flooded with credit card offers.”

But Brenda is not biting! She’s now in control of her financial destiny…

“I’ve learned to control it,” she says. “I’m on a schedule now and I try not to incur new bills. Your program has taught me to be very careful and not get caught up in the credit card game anymore.”

The debt management program taught her well…

“The program has helped me to manage my money better,” she says. “It taught me discipline and smart spending. You have to know how to spend and save and do without things. I try to use cash more often than credit now and rest assured I won’t be adding any more credit cards.”

But before calling Consolidated Credit…

“I was overwhelmed,” she says. “After making that call and realizing that they can help me – I cannot begin to describe the weight being lifted off my shoulders.”

Brenda wants everyone to take down their debt and can attest to the success of the DMP…

“I referred my partner and she actually finished before I did,” she says. “To those who are skeptical of joining your program or seeking help for that matter, I say just give me a call, give my partner a call.  I’m a very skeptical person and I can tell you 100 percent that it works. It’s a long process, it’s not easy, but you just have to forget about the money coming out of your account because your bills are getting paid. Just keep with it and before you know it, you’re halfway there.”

Taking care of aging parents and bills at the same time

Brenda is not alone. Thirty percentof adult children in the United States pick up at least some of an aging parent’s bills – from uncovered medical expenses to putting food on their table.  Although Brenda’s grandmother had Medicare, she didn’t have insurance to address other costs not covered under the Medicare plan, such as home healthcare nurses.

If you have an ailing mother, grandmother or loved one, it might be beneficial to look into Long-term care insurance (LTC or LTCI). This is an insurance that covers care generally not covered by health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. Do your research. Be sure to find out if your Medicare plan covers nursing home care and the needs of your loved ones.

Keeping up two households can drain even the toughest budget. In Brenda’s case caring for her ailing grandmother compromised her own financial health.  If credit card debt is affecting both your physical and financial well-being dial 1-888-294-3130 to speak to a certified credit counselor or request help online now.