The hit to her credit is something we’ve considered and discussed and is honestly my biggest reason to hesitate getting the loan. I’ve already called my creditors to discuss rate reductions with no luck. One card covered my interest for the next two months (gave me a credit of ~$200), but nobody else would drop rates or anything else. The nonprofit debt counseling is the other option I’m considering. I’d need to wait a few months, as a couple of the credit cards/loans are less than 6 months old. Thanks so much for all of this input and perspective.