Debt Settlement, sometimes referred to as Debt Negotiation, is a process by which a creditor agrees to accept
repayment by consumer or an amount less than the amount currently owed.
This process is simply a negotiation and there is never a guarantee on
what the outcome will be. Each creditor may react differently or may
accept completely different terms than another creditor. However, when
reviewing previous settlement practices of collection agencies and major
credit card companies over the last 12 years we found that the average
repayment is approx 40 cents on every dollar owed. In most cases no
future interest will accrue once the account is sold to collections.
A typical settlement process:
- After reviewing options,
decide to enter debt settlement process
- Stop paying creditors that
will be negotiated with later
- Start a savings account
for future settlements
- Once you stop paying your
creditors, your accounts will be closed after month 1 or2
- After months 3 or 4 the
account will likely be sold to a third party collection company
- Most successful settlements
take place with collection companies so it should be looked at positively
that the debt is bought by them
- Once a settlement is reached,
a fax is sent to the client to review and agree on
- Payment is then forwarded
to the creditor via the consumers savings account
- A copy of the confirmation
or payment is requested and filed
Advantages of Debt Settlement
- Relief of Debt in 36 months or less
- Average repayment is 40 cents or less
per dollar owed.
- No repayment of future interest regardless
of credit
- Relief and piece of mind back
- Get back to saving your money instead
of wasting it in interest charges
Risks of Debt Settlement
- Short term negative credit effect
- Trouble obtaining new financing
- No guarantee of outcome
- Harassing phone calls
- Risk of lawsuit
Characteristics of Ideal Debt Settlement Candidate
Someone that has experienced some kind
of hardship. The following are all valid financial hardships:
- Reduced income
- Unemployment
- Divorce
- Medical
- Disabled
- Overspending
- Poor money management
- Gambling Addiction
- Mortgage loan reset