We did credit counciling about 10 years ago. The people were always polite to us. They charged $2 a month per account per month. It took 5 years to pay off but it was worth it. In both cases, BR and credit counciling it takes about 7 years to clear from your credit history. You can not get new credit cards but you can get car, house and student loans while on it. Our credit rating is great now and went up after the 5 years.