If you’ve searched the Internet on the terms “debt settlement” or “debt relief,” you undoubtedly got page after page of results – or companies that claim they could settle your debts for thousands of dollars less than you really owe. Since this comes under the category of “if it seems too good to be true,” this raises the question of can you really trust those companies.
How debt settlement works
If you’re not familiar with debt settlement, here’s how it works. First, you need to be nearly six months behind in payments to your creditors. When this is the case, the debt settlement company then has leverage to settle your debts for less than you owe. This is because lenders typically sell off debts they have been unable to collect after 180 days and they usually sell them for only pennies on the dollar. So when a debt settlement company contacts a lender and offers to immediately pay off the debt for, say, 40% or 50% of what’s owed, most lenders will agree as this represents a much better deal than selling off your debts to a collection agency.
You will be presented with a payment plan
When the debt settlement company is able to settle all of your debts, it will present you with a payment plan. Depending on how much you were in debt, it could require two, three or four years before you became debt free. If you sign off on the plan, you will then pay the debt settlement company and not your creditors. Your debts will have been consolidated and you would have only one payment a month to remember.
The benefits of debt settlement
Of course, the major benefit of debt settlement is what you’ve already read – that you should see your debts slashed by 40% or 50%. But there are benefits in addition to this. For one thing, when you contract with a debt settlement company you will no longer be harassed by any of your creditors because you will not be required to deal with them directly. Second, you will get your debts paid off in less time. Third, you should be able to choose which accounts you want to have closed and which you want to stay open. And fourth, you avoid the stigma of having to file for bankruptcy, which would mark you as a bad money manager.
The disadvantages of debt settlement
While debt settlement will not leave a stain on your credit reports as much as would a bankruptcy, it will effect your credit score. As we reported in an earlier paragraph, you have to be nearly six months in arrears on payments to your creditors for debt settlement to be a viable option. And any time you miss six months of payments, this is bound to have a negative effect on your credit score. Many experts believe that this would cost you about 80 points versus a bankruptcy, which could drop your credit score by as many as 200 points.
The scam artists
If you are so seriously in debt that you’re actually thinking about filing for bankruptcy, debt settlement could be an excellent option. But it’s important to choose a company you can trust. Unfortunately, some debt settlement companies are scams. They will ask for money up front, promise to settle your debts for pennies on the dollar and then never pay any of your creditors. It could be two, three or even more months before you discover you’ve been scammed and by then it’s too late to get any of your money back. Plus, you will probably have piled up a lot of new debt in the form of interest charges and fees during those months you thought the debt settlement company was paying your creditors – and they weren’t.
Here’s a video with more information about these scam artists and how to avoid them.
Who can you trust?
There are honest and ethical debt settlement companies. They are the ones who don’t charge any upfront fees and cost you nothing until you approve your payment plan. You can also trust a debt settlement company if it’s been in business for five or 10 years. The con artists generally open up under one name, scam as many people as they can, close down and then open up a few months later under a new name. Legitimate debt settlement companies are accredited by the Better Business Bureau and belong to organizations such as the US Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Fair Credit Counselors. These companies will also have a lot more positive online reviews than negative ones. In comparison, the scam artists usually have nothing but negative reviews.
Helpful debt counselors
An honest debt settlement company will have helpful debt counselors who will discuss your situation at length and offer valuable advice. The advisor you’re assigned will be friendly and knowledgeable and able to answer all of your questions. He or she will not pressure you to do anything.
Everything in writing
Another mark of an honest and ethical debt settlement company is that it will provide all of its information to you in writing. In comparison, a scam company generally won’t. It will rely on a lot of fast talk and verbal promises – that it will never keep.
A legitimate debt settlement company will provide you with a written contract to review and sign that will spell out the exact details of what the company will do and what you will be required to do. Naturally, you should very carefully review any contract you’re offered. If there’s anything about it you don’t understand, either ask a friend for help or pay an attorney to review it. Once you sign a contract with a debt settlement company you will be obligated to follow its provisions so it’s critical that you understand them.
