These are the same steps our staff use when they help someone. "They" means the person who needs help: you, or someone you are helping. Go in order, and call ahead when you can.
1Make an accurate list
For each debt, write balance, APR, minimum payment, due date and whether you question it. Verify unfamiliar collection claims. Get legal help with court papers or potentially old debt before making a promise.
2Check what you can afford
Protect food, housing, medicine and work costs first. If even minimum payments do not fit, contact creditors about hardship arrangements instead of inventing extra repayment money.
3Choose one target
When affordable minimums are covered, extra money toward the highest-interest debt generally reduces interest more; extra toward the smallest balance can provide an earlier payoff. Compare both and choose an approach you can maintain. These methods do not override urgent legal or secured-debt consequences.
4Try a small example
If your affordable minimums total $70 and you have $10 extra, assign that $10 to one target. When the target is paid, reassess where the freed payment should go. Do not count the same $10 twice.
5Check outside help carefully
Ask a nonprofit credit counselor about fees and services before sharing information. Nonprofit does not automatically mean free. Be cautious of guarantees to erase debt or pressure to stop paying creditors.
Today: List balances and choose a review date.
6Compare repayment methods with one small example
Suppose debt A is $100 at 10% APR and debt B is $400 at 25% APR. After affordable required payments, targeting B generally reduces interest more, while targeting A can clear a small balance sooner. This comparison assumes the same available extra payment and no special fees or urgent consequences.
Check whether an account is secured by a car or home, already in court, or subject to a promotion. A simple highest-rate rule is not a substitute for help with those consequences.
7Ask what a counseling plan does before enrolling
NFCC member agencies offer credit counseling: 800-388-2227; https://www.nfcc.org/contact-us/. Ask about an initial session, all fees, what debts a plan covers, whether creditors must agree and what happens to accounts.
A debt-management plan is different from debt settlement or a new consolidation loan. Ask for written terms and compare the full cost. A nonprofit label does not guarantee that every service is free or right for you.
8Recheck the plan after each statement
Write the new balance, interest, fees and actual payment. Check that payments reached the intended account. If living costs rise, reassess affordability rather than taking new debt solely to keep an old repayment target.
Do not promise that a particular method will raise a credit score by a fixed amount. For old or disputed debts, get appropriate legal guidance before making a payment or written acknowledgment.
9Sources and more help
Reviewed November 1, 2026. General money education; individual circumstances differ.
https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-get-out-debt
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This guide is general information only, not medical, legal or other professional advice. Places and rules change, so please call before you go. In an emergency, call 911; in a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Disclaimer
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Questions, or want someone to walk through this with you? The Silver City Gospel Mission, 111 S. Texas St., Silver City,
575-388-5071, weekdays 9:00am-1:45pm. Everyone is welcome.