Debt Negotiation

There must be a lot of money to be made in debt negotiation. Just listen to all the advertising. Do you think they are out there for your benefit? They are trying to make money off you. It has gotten so bad that Attorney General's throughout the country are shutting the worst offenders down.

Here is my perception of how they work. First, your creditors will not negotiate with you when you are current with your payments. So, you must start missing payments. The reality is, you have to miss about six payments before you can get to someone with authority to settle the case. While you have missed six payments, late fees and interest accumulate. Thus, your debt becomes higher.

If you are using a debt negotiation company, they will likely charge you a monthly fee. At the same time you will start to put money away. After six months, when creditors are starting to talk to you, or the negotiator, a lump sum settlement amount will be negotiated. While it may seem like 50% of the amount owed, in reality it is probably closer to 75% or 80% of what it was 6 months earlier considering the new late fees and interest that has accumulated. And, you have ruined your credit.

A better approach may be to make minimum payments on certain debts each month while dedicating extra money to the lesser of your credit cards. Eventually, you will pay off that creditor. When that creditor is paid off, you move on to the next creditor until you are debt free.

Of course, this is much easier said than done, and takes a lot of discipline. But, the reward is worth the sacrifice.

What About My Credit Score?

It seems that many Americans are more concerned with their credit score than their net worth. I have many clients that have $50,000 or more in credit card bills that are more worried about how bankruptcy will affect their credit score than they are with getting rid of the debt. Each month they are paying $1,000.00 per month or more to pay off credit cards. They are killing themselves with worry and stress to pay this debt. They aren't working for retirement or a financial future but instead are working to pay debts.

As I have stated before, I think bankruptcy should be a last resort. There should be a plan to get out of debt before resorting to bankruptcy. But, if it is impossible to pay off the debt due to income limitations or illness, bankruptcy is a very good financial option. It is certainly better than being a slave to your debt.

How will bankruptcy affect your credit score? It will affect it between 100 and 200 points. Now, we've got that out of the way, what does it mean? Bankruptcy stays on your credit report for 7-10 years. However, once you obtain your discharge in bankruptcy, you can begin to rebuild your credit.

As you make each car payment and each mortgage payment, you are rebuilding your score. When looking at your credit score, examiners will see higher income and low debt levels (debt to income ratio) because you have just discharged your debt in bankruptcy.

While rebuilding your credit score will take time, rebuilding your life will be easier.