Monday, November 3, 2008

Understanding How Debt Settlement Works

By William Blake

We all get into financial situations that we can't handle from time to time. Sometimes the debt we incur is more than we can cope with and we need help. If this applies to you, then debt settlement is one possible solution. However, be aware of all that it entails in order to make an informed decision about whether it is right for your situation.

Debt settlement involves using a third party to manage the debt situation. You may have tried to talk to the creditors but to no avail. Each month that the payment is late, there is a fee. Once the fees push the balance over the credit limit, there is another fee. Things can get out of control in an as little as a few months.

By going through debt settlement, an agency that specialized in helping individuals deal with serious debt will help you. To begin, the agency with review your situation to see if you qualify for their services. Debt settlements usually are performed for your unsecured debt- credit cards, store credit cards, gas cards, etc. Creditors are taking a risk with you on whether or not you can pay back the debt on your cards.

Unfortunately, debt settlements are not as good as they may seem- they can still affect your credit negatively. You may be turned away from future creditors if your debt settlement agency reports your debt settlement plan. Make sure you understand this before entering into debt settlement.

Your debt settlement agency will look at several areas to determine a repayment plan suitable for your debt. The amount of debt they are looking at is important when they consider this- it will need to be beyond your capability of repayment without help.

The agency will look at all your credit card interest rates. They may be able to work with the creditor to lower your interest rates so they are more manageable. They may also be able to work with late fees and have the creditor wave them, in the interest of hopefully recovering some of the money you owe to them.

By working with the agency, you will agree to make certain monthly payments to the agency. They then forward the payment to your creditors according to the terms they worked out with the creditors. Your payments may include the fee they include for their services.

The bonus is, by working with a debt settlement agency, creditors will stop the annoying phone calls. Once the debt settlement arrangements have been made, the creditors should stop contacting you for the most part. There may be the odd one that still calls, but most will leave you alone.

As you can see, debt settlement agencies are not an option for everyone. contact your credit card company to try to work out a deal first. Aside from the extra fees that you may be charged, you may also have to take a hit to your credit.

About the Author:

No comments: