This book is a revision of a prior publication which was addressed directly
to debt counselors. Although the book is now written to consumers directly,
it is still very valuable to counselors. Most of your clients will need your
help to exercise the basic rights and options discussed in this book. Although
we have tried to write simply, many clients will need help to understand the
discussion here. We have not shied away from discussing complicated issues when
they are necessary to a complete understanding of rights and options.
Because you regularly see clients with financial problems, you will almost
always have more expertise in addressing these problems than the particular
individual who seeks your help. Although we encourage you to recommend this
book to your clients, you can also use it to advise clients on specific issues.
Your explanations and background as a counselor will frequently reinforce the
discussion which this book provides.
We recognize that many of the strategies discussed in this book go beyond what
you are accustomed to doing in the counseling process. Each counselor must make
his or her own decision about how far to go in actively intervening in a clients'
debt problems. At a minimum, however, we ask that you make every effort to give
financially stressed consumers their full range of choices by counseling them
on the availability of options which go beyond the scope of what your organization
would be able to do.
For example, if you work for an organization which helps consumers make payment
agreements with their creditors, you should nevertheless explain that bankruptcy
is an alternative to some payment agreements and cover the circumstances in
which bankruptcy may make sense. Similarly, if you are accustomed to dealing
with credit card issues, we ask that you be sure that you do not recommend a
strategy for dealing with credit cards which undermines a consumer's ability
to deal with a mortgage, car or utility payment. Whenever possible, problems
should be dealt with in the context of the consumer's financial situation rather
than in isolation.
