What kind of debt settlement companies should we prefer?
People state that a debt settlement company helps people in all their debt issues. What kind of debt settlement companies should we prefer?
Posted July 13th, 2010 in Debt Settlement. Tagged: debt issues, debt settlement companies, settlement company.
Ewan,
DEBT SETTLEMENT IS NEVER YOUR BEST OPTION for eliminating credit card or other unsecured debt. Even if you happen to find a legitimate debt settlement company, there are some serious consequences and drawbacks, including…
- Short and long term damage to your credit
- NO GUARANTEE of results
- Very high and confusing fees
- Front-loaded fee schedules that delay progress in settling your debts, and
- Tax Implications (you will most likely receive a 1099 from your creditors for the amount of the balance reduction, which means you’ll have additional income taxes due)
If you need assistance getting out of debt, a superior alternative to traditional debt settlement is Debt Resolution. Debt Resolution offers all of the benefits of debt settlement, but also either eliminates or significantly reduces the negative aspects mentioned above. Unlike debt settlement (which relies solely on the level of your delinquency to negotiate settlements), Debt Resolution 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)
As an example, if you owes $12,000 in credit card debt, 45% of that is $5,400. If you can afford $600 per month, you can be out of debt in just 9 months ($5,400 / $600 per month). If you can only afford $200 per month, you can be out of debt in 27 months ($5,400 / $200 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.
As for those well-intentioned contributors on the forum who 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.
And what about suggestions of help through CCCS? Well, you can go that way if you want to pay 3 times as much and have the process take 2-3 times longer. You see, they’re closely aligned with the credit card companies, and their goal is to get you to pay back as much as possible. Let’s use the example above where you owe $12,000, and can afford $200 per month. With Debt Resolution, you’ll be debt-free in 27 months. With consumer credit counseling ??? Let’s say they reduce your interest rates to just 9.9%. If you were able to pay the $200 per month, it would take you 83 months to complete the program, and you would have paid $16,630 (instead of $5,400 !!!). But it’s very likely that they would limit your term to just 5 years (60 months), in which case you would have to pay $254/month for 5 years (total of $15,262).
Quick question: Which sounds better to you… $5,400 and be out of debt in 27 months (at just $200 per month) OR $15,262 and be out of debt in 60 months (at $254 per month)?
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
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmBetter go with consumer credit counseling or speak directly to your creditors before going with a debt settlement company. Some could be a scam or trash your credit & you not have anythting to show for it.
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmI went with ClearDebt (DebtGrad now) – BIG mistake!!! I was SO sure I wanted to settle, because it seemed so much easier, and it seemed like I would be out of debt faster. WRONG. Four years later, I am still digging myself out, and the credit cards that were supposed to be settled at 50%? Yeah, they settled for that. But once the interest came off, the balance was what I originally owed. And now my credit is shot. Think about it long and hard before you jump into settlement. I would research long and hard, and even consider just setting up a plan to tackle one debt at a time (keep all debts current of course). Good luck!
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmThese programs involve deliberately ceasing payments to all your creditors to force your accounts into default to attempt settlements for less. The monthly payments you make go towards building a settlement account and to pay the firm’s fees. Your credit card companies will deliberately not be paid so that all the accounts will default/charge-off so that they can attempt settlements at around 50%. If you are current on your accounts, this process will ruin your credit rating. You can never predict how your creditors will respond to the deliberate defaulting of your accounts…they might settle at 50%…or they might serve you a summons, take you to court…and if they win, you could be looking at wage garnishment. If you end up being sued….you’ll be on your own.
A better option may be to enter a debt management plan through a non profit credit counseling firm like CCCS. They can negotiate reduced payments and interest but NOT settlements. Use this site for a referral: http://www.nfcc.org
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmPick a debt settlement company that provides reliable service on time. Find companies that have skill in this field and have good standing.
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmThrough my personal research and experience, I recommend NOT going with a traditional debt settlement company. A traditional debt settlement company negotiates with your lenders on your behalf to reduce the amount that you owe.
Some are successful, while others are not, but all of them charge an enormous upfront fee of typically 10 – 15% of the total debt. And this is even before one settlement is even negotiated.
The best option I found was a company call Zipdebt. Zipdebt provides a "Do It Yourself, Not By Yourself" debt settlement approach. Basically, they coach you through the debt settlement process, while you are negotiating with your creditors.
For more information, check out zipdebtreview.com
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmhi,
If you are looking for website , that really works, the most trusted website on the internet is http://DebtHelper.info .
They are top rated company…
Last year I joined them and they helped me to get rid of my debt.
That really works.
I really hope this will help you
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmhi,
If you are looking for website , that really works, the most trusted website on the internet is http://DebtHelper.info .
They are top rated company…
Last year I joined them and they helped me to get rid of my debt.
That really works.
I really hope this will help you
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmhey ,
It is possible to get rid of debt, but you have to know exactly how to do it.There are many places , that offer that service, but unfortunately most of them are scams.
Last year I found a company that helped me to save more than 30% …
They are one the best places .
If you really need help, I would recommend you http://DebtProExpert.info … They really know how to help you.
Really hope it was helpful for you
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pm**********IN MY EXPERIENCE*************
Be careful, you can get sued if you do it alone.
If you work alone, you may not know all of your rights and laws
Alot of Debt settlement companies do not have attorney in everystate but they do not tell you this.
Some DS companies take up to 5 years, thats entirely too much.
Most dont lesson your paymnts.
BUT the company i use was 100 percent legit, and now i am debt free and living the life I always wanted to live. If you qualify you will defintely benefit from this program.
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmCONSULATION IS FREE and these guys answer all of your question.
http://www.internationaldebtsolutions.us
704-749-3812
Hey
It is possible to get rid of debt, but you have to know exactly how to do it.There are many companies , that offer that service, but unfortunately most of them are scams.
Last year I found a company that helped me to save more than 30% …
They are one the best companies .
If you really need help, I would recommend you http://DebtExpertAdvice.info … They really know how to help you.
I’m sure that will help you
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pmWhen choosing a debt settlement company, consider the following—
•It must be a member of ASC or Association of Settlement Companies.
July 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pm•Find out what the company will charge you.
•Be sure the company has a money back guarantee.
•Try to avoid credit card debt settlement companies.
•Find out how long the company will take to solve the problem.