What would you like to ask?HELP,I am debating on using a credit settlement company or debt management company,?
I make my payments on time every month to my cards, but wont be able to soon.
I have reached out to my 2 credit cards numerous times telling them I may file for bankruptcy and they wont get anything, and asking for them to lower interest rate so I can make my monthly payments and actually see my balance go down instead of mostly toward interest. I was refused on any time of payment plan, settlement offer, or interest rate reduction.
NEXT: I spoke at length with Take Charge America, who will set me up on a 5 year payment plan (after the banks negotiate with THEM apparently), and I will pay off my full balance in 5 years, along with about k in interest and 00 or so in fees to the company. Cards will be closed.
OR: I use Credit Solutions and I default on my cards so they can negotiate with the banks on my behalf and present me with settlement amounts which could be half if not more of the balance! I pay them 0. for 18 months and my debts to cards is paid within 36 months, if not sooner, at almost k less than what I owed.
BUT: Credit solutions has many scary reviews online. I spoke at length with 2 of their reps and they explained the process to me and it sounds like garden variety debt settlement, so.. i dunno. Which company? Anyone have any experience with either?
I also just called the collection dept. of my cards again and told them all this, can THEY offer me a settlement or payment plan so that there are no 3rd parties and the bank gets their money. They said nope, sorry. So i am kind of backed into a corner of having to use one or the other
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6 comments
Alex on September 1, 2010 at 8:48 am
Dont do either option. You can do this yourself for free. Plus, there are many scam companies that simply take your money and ruin your credit. If you can’t make the minimum payments, the accounts will go to collections (same thing if you pay someone else to handle this). Find books or do research online (even here) about settling debts and collection accounts. If you go against the advice given here, DO NOT use any company that has bad reviews online; they prey on people in trouble.
Rick B on September 1, 2010 at 8:48 am
None of the above. Do it yourself.
Why would you do that? Combining them will do nothing to get them paid off quicker. It will open them all up so you can charge them up again.
Follow Dave Ramsey’s debt snowball. Pay the minimums on all of them. On the one with the lowest balance, put ALL your extra money toward it. When it is paid off, take that minimum payment, plus the extra you were paying and apply it to the next smallest debt. Keep rolling this until you are paid off.
MATHEMATICALLY it would make more sense to pay the one with the highest interest rate first. BUT, you don’t have a math problem here, you have a behavior problem. Paying the smallest one down will give you a quick reward and will encourage you to stay on the plan. Yes, you may end up paying an extra $30 or $40 in interest over the course of the plan, but you are already paying double or triple on that latte you charged a year ago.
In the future, only charge what you can afford to PAY IN FULL as soon as the bill arrives.
Also, get together a cash emergency fund so this won’t happen again.
We are debt-free except our house and have about 6-month’s worth of expenses in the bank. We drive two paid in full cars that are only a few years old and we pay for everything in cash.
Debt Help on September 1, 2010 at 8:48 am
Do not use either "service"! A debt relief company does not have any special power that forces credit card companies to work with them. If you can’t afford to pay your credit cards, you should stop making the monthly payments and let them all go into default. Call the credit card company and begin serious settlement talks. Why would a credit card company work with you if you are making the minimum payments right now? After they are missing the money, you will have a little more power. If you have incredibly high balances ($5K +) you may run the risk of the credit card company filing suit against you. If this happens, you may want to seek bankruptcy protection. If you file bankruptcy, your credit card debt will be discharged through a Chapter 7 Case provided there is not a fraud issue.
Redjr01 on September 1, 2010 at 8:48 am
I wouldn’t go to those credit management companies. They find ways to make money from your misery. I would follow Rick B’s advice. That’s sound practice. Much better advice than you would get from a debt management company. Just work through it yourself and you will be the better for it. You will have to tighten your belt and in the meantime, you’ll learn how to manage your own money. If you stay disciplined, you’ll feel better about yourself as you see your debt start to clear up.
bluebell on September 1, 2010 at 8:48 am
You can do it yourself – then the fees you would have to pay any of these companies can be paid off your debt instead. Google Dave Ramsey or Oprah’s Debt Diet for ideas.
I cleared all my debts with the help of credit union. I got one loan there big enough to clear all the others in one go. Essentially, I was simply transferring the debt, but there were advantages -
smaller rate of interest
no monthly fees or penalty fees
loan could be spread over 5 years
repayment weekly
For me, that was the bigger help – repayment weekly. I found it fitted in easier with my regular weekly household budget. Because interest is calculated by the amount owing at the end of each day, every week I owed less so the interest got smaller and the debt came down faster. Also, if something unexpected cropped up to make payment difficult that week, they were a lot more approachable than banks or credit card companies.
Seriously, you are much better off doing it yourself. I did it, and am completely debt free now.
Jason on September 1, 2010 at 8:48 am
If you don’t mind paying 3 times as much and having the process take 3 times as long, then a debt management plan through a credit counseling company is the way to go.
On the other hand, debt settlement has so many drawbacks and negative consequences…
- your credit profile will get trashed
- creditors will harass you
- Debt settlement companies offer NO GUARANTEE of success. The creditors may not accept the amounts that they had in mind when they designed your plan
- you’ll pay a lot for their services
- front-loaded fee structures needlessly delay progress in settling your accounts
- the tax day surprise (your creditor will send you a 1099 for the reduction in debt, and you’ll most likely have to pay taxes on that amount).
There is, however, a superior alternative to debt settlement, which offers all of the benefits and either eliminates or significantly reduces its drawbacks. Unlike debt settlement (which relies solely on the level of your delinquency to negotiate settlements), Debt Resolution is an attorney-managed process that leverages good faith debt laws to both challenge the amount of the debt owed, and provide legal protections for the borrower. Features include:
- Eliminate 55% of your unsecured debt (guaranteed in writing). Try asking a debt settlement company for a guarantee.
- Cut your monthly payments in half (or less)
- No interest charges
- No negative tax consequences (you won’t get a 1099 from the creditor)
- Flexible Payment Terms (take up to 45 months – on a payment schedule you choose)
As an example, Let’s say you owe $20,000 in credit card debt. 45% of that is $8,000. If you can afford $800 per month, you can be out of debt in just 10 months ($8,000 / $800 per month). If you can only afford $400 per month, you can be out of debt in 20 months ($8,000 / $400 per month), and so on… The only other cost associated with the program is a one-time enrollment fee of $500 to administer the paperwork, get set up in the system, and establish the trust account from which the creditors will be paid.
That’s it. There are no other costs or fees. Just a one-time $500 enrollment fee and 45% of the current balance, which can be spread over as many as 45 months, depending on what you can afford.
Some well-intentioned contributors on the forum will suggest that you can do a debt settlement yourself. Well… they’re right, you can do a debt settlement yourself. But guess what? You’re most likely not going to settle your debt for less than 45% of the balance, which is the contractually guaranteed amount if you enroll in Debt Resolution. And guess what else? Unless you are familiar with the good faith debt laws and the laws of your state that govern credit card agreements – and you know how to leverage those laws to have the principal reduction considered a correction of the amount owed rather than a forgiveness of debt, you’re going to receive a 1099 for the amount forgiven, and you’ll have to pay taxes on it.
But remember… DEBT RESOLUTION IS NOT THE SAME AS DEBT SETTLEMENT, and you CANNOT get these benefits from a debt settlement company.. Debt Resolution is a unique, proprietary process developed and perfected over many years by a former Deputy Attorney General of California with over 40 years of legal experience, including more than 15 years specializing in resolving debt.
For more information on Debt Resolution, you can visit:
http://www.BetterThanDebtSettlement.com
Visit the site and download a Free Special Report titled "Why Debt Settlement Is NEVER Your Best Option For Eliminating Credit Card & Other Unsecured Debt." This report sheds a bright light on the problems with debt settlement, and explains how the Debt Resolution process eliminates or significantly reduces the drawbacks associated with traditioinal debt settlement.