Settlement Letter and Debt Negotiation

Essentially, credit card debt settlement is the procedure of negotiating with creditors to decrease overall debts in exchange for a lump sum payment. A successful settlement occurs when the creditor agrees to forgive a percentage of total account balance. Only unsecured debts not secured by real assets like homes or autos can be settled. Unsecured debts consist of medical bills and credit card debts – not student loans, auto financing or mortgages.

Read the rest of this entry »

Credit Card Debt Counseling Companies
Within the late 80s and 90s, the number of credit and credit card debt counseling companies in America increased significantly. These sharp increases of credit counseling activity also created serious issues in the business. By the early 1990s, abuses by particular credit counseling organizations were so significant, it led to criticism of the entire industry. A credit counseling agency usually receives most of its compensation from the lenders to whom the credit card debt payments are distributed. This funding relationship has led numerous
to believe that credit score counseling agencies are merely a collections wing from the lenders.

Fair Share
This fee income, known as ‘Fair Share’ are contributions from the lenders that originally earned the agency 15% from the amount recovered. Nevertheless, in recent
years, Fair Share contributions have dwindled steadily, with contributions of 4-10% being the most common. Other organizations have voiced criticisms from the credit score counseling business, frequently citing the Fair Share funding model as evidence that credit counselors serve the interests from the creditors over the interests of consumers. Also that credit counselors aren’t forthcoming in speaking out about the actions of lenders for fear of losing what small funding remains. Credit score counselors respond that their job isn’t to take sides but to negotiate with all parties equally to help effectively resolve debts.

Settlement Letter Discussions
Bill collectors in a collection agency try out various means to collect payments from you. When your creditor hires a bill collector, the former retains the right to your account while the collector simply acts on behalf of the creditor. However, when creditors sell off your accounts to a third party debt collector, the latter becomes the legal owner of your accounts. This is when creditors charge off your account.

Suggestions: First, atop avoiding debt collectors. If you do not answer collection calls, things may get worse. The collectors may take you to court and get an order against you in order to garnish your wages. Second, do not reveal much about your finances. Do not speak about your finances in detail because after all you don’t know the collector.

The collector can use any extra information against you as because he’s only interested in collecting payments from you. Record your conversation by keeping a record of the bill collectors you’ve spoken to, the time and summary of your conversation. You can use such records as proof against bill collectors who violate the law. However, if secret taping isn’t allowed in your state, just take the collector’s permission before you tape the conversation.

Counter Offer for Debt Settlement
Here is a letter you can potentially send, just use it as a guideline or even use a company such as Curadebt to help you. I appreciate that your organization is prepared to negotiate with me for settlement of my debt. This letter is to make a counter offer in response to the amount your representative wants me to pay for payment of debt in full. The quantity that I wish to provide you for payment of my financial debt is $XXX.

Unfortunately, I don’t have sufficient cash to pay all my creditors. So, I can only settle financial debt with those creditors who’re prepared to meet my terms. However, I’ve been able to negotiate successfully having a couple of creditors and I doubt if I will have enough funds remaining at the end of this month.

I would request, as part of the settlement, you to help me remove any negative listing this kind of as late payment, charge-off etc on this account from my credit file. In fact, I’d be willing to offer you more cash if you are able to report my account status as Compensated in full towards the credit bureaus. If you believe these terms agreeable, please sign the attached letter of agreement and return a copy to me. Upon receipt of this signed acknowledged agreement, I will send you a cash purchase within the quantity as stated above.