Is Debt Negotiation for You? – Debt Settlement Advice
Debt negotiation is a relatively new form of debt relief that is gaining popularity for its results in reducing credit card and consumer debt and because the process can also help homeowners avoid foreclosure by making home loan modifications more likely to be approved. There are two schools of thought on the subject; one that focuses on broken settlements, credit scores and direct negotiations while the other centers on the short and long term benefits of the practice. First, the arguments against debt negotiations:
* Broken settlements – A settlement can be broken by either the party executing the negotiation or the customer. True, there have been instances were companies didn’t follow through on their promises to see the negotiation from beginning to end. The percentage of customers involved in those situations has been small and could have been prevented with some due diligence. Many companies have been drawn into the debt relief industry by the sheer numbers of borrowers and their escalating debt starting in the late 90’s. What had started as debt counseling run by a few non-profits mushroomed into an industry populated with thousands of new and inexperienced companies offering services far beyond the scope of the original mandate of assisting indebted customers with their debts Within those thousands of companies were those that didn’t deliver on debt negotiations, counseling, or consolidation. Customers can also break a settlement by not making enough payments to settle the negotiation. Whether by circumstance or intention, some will stop making payments during the 18 to 48 months of the settlement process.
* Credit scores – A debt negotiation will likely decrease the credit score of a borrower that enters a debt negotiation, but it depends on what that score is at the time the process starts. A vast majority of borrowers that start a debt negotiation are already behind on payments and are consequently taking hits on credit scores so the negotiation won’t have as much of an effect. The second issue on credit scores is that the negotiation stays on the report for up to seven years. While that can be true, doing nothing will leave charge-offs and open balances on the report indefinitely. Finalized, settled, and closed accounts are ultimately a much better reflection on a credit report than accounts that appear intended and/or neglected. (more…)
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