Is there any way to consolidate debt without going through one of those bogus companies?

I have a lot of credit card debt but half of it is interest. I had a lot of financial troubles over the last two years and had to stop paying all of them completely. I am finally in a place where I can start making minimum payments and try to rebuild my credit again.
Is there anyone I can work with or anything I can do on my own to get the creditors to knock off all the interest thats built up and consolidate all my debt into one monthly payment?
(I cannot qualify for a debt consolidation loan from my bank, before anyone suggests that.)
I have heard that the debt counseling companies also charge you and you end up even more in debt and not really coming out on top.
Can someone who has been in this situation clue me in on some of my options?

I am going to sound like you grandfather sorry. #1 Sit down and make out a budget. #2 make a list of all of your debts. #3 have any of the loan companies been chasing you for payment? Have you missed the last four payments with any of them? If your answer is yes, go from the smallest to the largest. IE you owe Acme $100 asked them if they will settle the debt for $35? If they say yes tell them to send that to you in writing. DO NOT give them access to your bank account for payment they will go in there and empty your checking account. If they send you the agreement that they will settle for $35. Go to the bank and purchase a Money order and capy the letter that they sent to you and send then the $35 money order along with a copy of the letter that they sent to you. #4 as you have more and more money make the same kind of offer to other companies. As you pay off a debt save that money each month and then when you have about a 1/3 or more then aske them if they would like to settle and for how much.

You will be amazed as to how much debt you can eliminate this way. This is better than not paying but it will show on your cedit report, how ever not as bad as not paying your legal debt or having a car repo, or house forclosed on. If any of those things have happened this will go away when that goes away. Get on a budget and stay on it. I am not able to ask you if you own a car or house or anything else. If you want additional advise e-mail me

If these credit card companies have been waiting for awhile then contact them and tell them you want to pay in good faith, but only will start payments again if they do away with interest. They will drop the interest rate if they think they stand a better chance of getting paid. Your credit is bad now so your options are limited and the only loans you'll get will be high interest predator/creditor loans.

Try using http://DebtAnswersNow.com to get matched up with a debt relief specialist.

They helped me consolidate my $25,000 credit card debt to $6000.

Practically any type of loan can be wrapped into the debt consolidation process. Common types include finance charges, late fees and overdraft charges, credit cards, personal loans, utility bills, medical bills, car loans, store cards, gas cards and back taxes. A debt consolidation loan<!--allows you to condense your monthly payments into a single, simple bill, while lowering your interest rates and helping you pay down your debts more quickly and easily. It is also an essential tool in avoiding the much more serious step of declaring bankruptcy.

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Unlike bankruptcy, in which debts are cancelled and your credit rating collapses completely, debt consolidation loans are essentially a type of refinancing, where several-->old loans are replaced with a new one that has more favorable terms. Your loan consultant will negotiate with creditors on your behalf, so you鈥檒l no longer have to deal with harassing phone calls and daily mail.