I have about 25,000 dollars in credit card debt ...

Many people turn to debt counseling agencies before considering debt relief agencies. This may be a better option because they have less of an effect on credit scores. With debt counseling agencies, your credit score is not affected, although a note is issued to the credit bureaus that you are paying your debts through a debt counseling or debt management agency. With debt relief agencies, you can often pay down your outstanding debt with one lump sum a month--minus any fees and penalties the agency was able to get waived--but you aren't able to use current credit cards or apply for any other credit services. This would require you to take on more debt. In addition to this, the credit bureaus are notified of your debt relief usage and, depending on your credit score, effectively lower your credit score by as little as 50 to more than 200 points.

Gerard,

It is impossible not to have your credit affected by joining a debt relief or debt management program.  Your credit report will show payments through a third party or settled in full.  These marks will lower your score.  The only way to keep a great credit score is to continue to make your payments on time.

Try talking to a professional credit counselor that offers you a free consultation, BudgetPlanners.net could be a good place to start.