They ignored all the warnings and speculation drove prices ever upwards regardless of common sense. Naturally any boom based on speculation is doomed once people sense that the market is overheating. The market reached its peak in early September of 29 and prices began falling sharply losing 17% of their value over the next month. Do they have a good record of helping people for example? Have you been referred to them by someone you know and trust? Are they non-profit or a profit making company? As with any other major decision you should do some checks to make certain you are doing the right thing. Ask about them at your church. Money can be made in almost any type of investment but matching it to your personality will make it a much more sensible approach. When we think of the different ways of investing money most of us think in terms of the stock market but there are plenty of other types of investment to consider. For example you could choose gold or any other precious metal, real estate, Certificates of Deposit or even old automobiles. There is no guarantee that an organization offering bill consolidation services will be any better just because they're non profit. Consolidation of debts is a complicated matter and it requires clear thinking and some tough negotiation skills. So yes, a non profit may charge you less but they could still end up costing you more if their people aren't good at reducing your monthly or weekly payments. Of course part of the reason is the undoubted complexity of stocks and shares but there is just that sneaking suspicion the new investor will have that it is to keep the uninitiated out too. So getting a stock market dictionary will help to even out the playing field. The great advantage of some of the very latest dictionaries is that they are grouped around particular subjects rather than laid out in alphabetical order like an ordinary one. Most utility services, credit card payments and other payments can be done by direct money transfer from your online savings account to those services. You also have the option to set up auto-debit facilities for the same. If you think about it, the benefits of online savings accounts seem to go on and on.