This is known as a bad practice in the industry and has been the source of state attorney general lawsuits as well as many individual actions against the agencies that do this. What Questions To Ask? What services do you offer? Look for a credit counseling or how to rebuild credit agency that offers a variety of related services. Avoid agencies that push a debt management plan (DMP) as your only option before they spend a significant amount of time analyzing your financial situation. What educational materials/information do you offer? Is it free? Avoid credit counseling agencies that charge for educational materials or other written information. Remember that many ‘D’ tier lenders look at more than just the credit score of an applicant, and in many cases, these lenders do not consider the FICO score of an applicant in their approval process. Marginal lenders look at the total applicant picture to determine if the will approve a deal. An applicant with a stable employment and residence history and a decent income stands a better chance of getting approved for a loan, even with a spotty credit bureau, because the lender knows they will be able to collect the payments, even if they are a little late each month! Explain ‘debt to income’ and ‘payment to income’ ratios to your customers and how lenders use them to determine what vehicles they will qualify for. Another recommendation is to always be very careful of online organizations presenting themselves as ‘free’ or ‘non-profit’ organization. Most of these people merely use the term in order to get their prey. Hence, it is advisable for you to look before you leap. Ensure that this is a legitimate organization.