I am thankful to two FICO friends for recommending (different) DMP's to me. We know this is something we HAVE to do as DH lost 2nd source of income and was severely underpaid/underemployed for almost a year so our CC balanced climbed sky high. In fact, though we haven't been late on any of our accounts, we will be late on almost all of them this month since I can't afford to pay any of them. 
Anyway, I called the first one and entered some info online for them and then called back with a question. A week ago. Haven't heard anything from them.
Filled out the OL stuff for the second DMP on Monday. Called yesterday; they said it takes 24-48 hours to process. Okay. Got a message this morning that I would receive an email outlining their plan "shortly". Shortly? That was more than an hour ago. I'm very impatient about this!! Don't they realize thatonce people get to the point of needing this kind of help, they need a bit of hand holding? *deep breath*
Thanks, Lynette!
Apparently shortly = about a half day, or an eternity when trying to figure out financial "stuff"!
Anyone have any idea how one comes up with ~1K as a first payment when they don't have it?
My DMP has been fastastic. But its a daily struggle and a constant fight to keep everything current or at least by not reporting 30 days late.
I am roughly 15 to 20 months away from being revolving debt free. I could write a book on all the bad luck I had over the last 3 years to keep my head above water. Water Pump burned out, appliances breaking down, gas prices going to $4.50+ a gallon, Grocery prices increasing 30% accross the board, both my wife and myself had some serious drops in income, pets getting sick, leaky roofs, car problems, mortgage lender going out of business, not knowing for 4 months who my new mortgage lender was, having 4 house payments due at once, on top of that my house insurance and 2nd installment of property taxes not gettting paid. Then not getting that money back until later this year when my escrow gets reevaulated. You name it, I had almost every challenge thrown at me in the last few years.. I should have kept a diary of everything or at least published a web blog of the daily occurances and challenges. It would be a best seller.. 
I compare a DMP as going on a diet... If you strictly follow a diet, you can lose about 100 pounds a year. This is a strict diet that goes on and on for four years or more. Its not fun, but at least your credit will be squeaky clean when you are done. Unlike a bankruptcy that will kill your credit for 10 years.
The worst for me will be over in 9 months, I will have a credit card paid off and that will free up about $107.00 a month.. A few months later I will have another card paid off and that will free up $181.00 a month. Eventually all my credit cards will be paid off sometime in the Spring or Summer of 2011. I will have a total of $520 more in cash flow to play with. I just need to hang in there and get to that point.
I was nearly $35,000 in credit card debt and now have it paid down to just under $7,000. I had 16 credit cards and am now down to 5. My DMP also allows me take out installment loans. So if you have an emergency like leaky roof, or cars breaking down.. You do have the option to take out an installment loan..(assuming you have a good credit score to get one). My credit score when I first started the DMP (in late 2007) was 476. My credit score today is 711. There is progress. Its a daily struggle trying to deal with a $30,000 household income loss and keeping everything current.. I only have a short time to go before some of these cards are paid off and I can have a little better cash flow.. Hopefully I can hang in there.
If you would like the name of my DMP, you can send me a message privatety and I will tell you who I am going with and provide contact information.