If you are a consumer who has been successful in pursuit of a settlement with your creditors, you may be wondering what the next step is. After debt settlement, it is important to devise a strategic plan to help get your credit back on track and develop positive spending, budgeting, and financial health habits. Your most pressing concern at this stage is likely to be your credit report. Several months after the settlement has been finalized, it may be beneficial to order a copy of your credit report in order to ascertain whether the correct notations have been applied to your settled accounts. In most cases, the account balances will be noted as zero. However, there is likely to be a special footnote or asterisk that indicates that the amount was paid by settlement. After you have checked your credit report, you may find it helpful to schedule an appointment with a non-profit credit counseling organization in your area to get help with budgeting and paying down remaining debts.