How to Get Started with DebtGuru's Credit Counseling

Updated

You start by calling DebtGuru's free counseling line at 1-866-352-1739 to speak with a certified credit counselor. That first call is the entry point to everything else — the financial evaluation, the explanation of your specific benefits, and any decision about a debt management plan. This applies if you're carrying credit card debt and want to understand your options before committing to anything.

What Happens on the First Call

DebtGuru describes the process as starting with a call to "one of our experienced, certified credit counselors." Based on the site's own description, the call is where you:

  • Get a professional financial evaluation — the counselor reviews your situation rather than applying a one-size-fits-all script.
  • Learn your specific benefits — the site frames this as free and specific to you, not a generic pitch.
  • Hear how a debt management plan would work for your debts — including what a creditor-accepted program would mean in your case.

The site states this step is "absolutely FREE," and that the counseling is confidential. No pricing or payment details appear in the available page content, so treat cost beyond the free counseling call as something to confirm directly with the counselor.

What DebtGuru Says the Program Can Do

These are the outcomes DebtGuru advertises for its debt management program. They're the company's claims, not guarantees for your situation:

Claim What it means for you
Cut monthly payments up to 50%* Your required monthly outlay may drop; the asterisk signals conditions apply
Get out of debt in 1/3 the time* The payoff timeline may shorten versus minimum payments
95% of clients reduce their interest rates Lower rates are the mechanism behind the two claims above
Consolidate credit card debt without a loan Debts are handled through a plan, not a new borrowing product
Creditor-accepted program DebtGuru says its program is legal and approved by creditors

The two percentage claims carry asterisks on the site, so ask the counselor what conditions apply to your numbers before you rely on them.

Who This Fits — and Who Should Pause

The site describes its typical client as someone who has no extra money after paying bills, and notes that nearly 40% of Americans come up short each month and cover the gap with credit cards. If that's your pattern, the counseling call is a low-risk first step because it's free and doesn't commit you to a plan.

Be more cautious if:

  • You can already pay more than the minimum and just want a lower rate — ask whether a plan helps or whether you'd do better negotiating directly.
  • You're considering debt settlement or bankruptcy — those are different processes, and the page content here doesn't cover them.
  • You want a written cost breakdown before calling — the available material doesn't include fees, so request them on the call.

How to Prepare for the Call

Have these ready so the evaluation is useful rather than generic:

  1. A list of your credit card balances and the interest rate on each.
  2. Your monthly minimum payments and your total monthly income.
  3. Your essential monthly expenses — housing, food, transport, utilities.
  4. Your goal — lower payments, a fixed payoff date, or both.

With those numbers, the counselor can tell you what your specific benefits would be and whether a debt management plan is worth pursuing. If it isn't, you've lost nothing but the length of one free call.

The Bottom Line

Getting started is a single phone call to 1-866-352-1739. The counseling is described as free and confidential, the program is described as creditor-accepted and non-profit, and the decision about whether to enroll comes after you've seen your own numbers. Call with your balances and rates in hand, ask what conditions sit behind the "up to 50%" and "1/3 the time" figures, and confirm any fees before agreeing to a plan.