A statute of limitations is the duration of time which debt collectors have to file a lawsuit to recover a debt. It is a rule restricting how long a creditor can sue you for the payment on that debt. All consumer debts, from credit card balances to medical bills, have limitations on the time or rather a specific number of years for which the creditors have a legal right to sue you for payment.

The statute of limitations doesn’t apply to certain kinds of debts, but on those that it does apply to, you can accidentally restart the clock by taking certain actions.

You ought to be very careful if the debt collectors are hounding you because even one payment on an expired debt can result in a reset of the statute on that debt.

This of course opens you up to potential lawsuits and further collection action. In addition, the statute of limitations resets. When we first discussed this topic, most of us were unaware of it ourselves. Making it feel even more important to write about. Collectors use this to their advantage, knowing one small payment can reopen that debt for legal collection actions.

The statute of limitations protects from lawsuits brought to settle old debts.

What if you don’t pay back the money you owe? Creditors may report the delinquent debt to the credit bureaus, namely TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. This can show up on your credit reports and your credit score may be damaged as a result.

Your debts may also be sent to collections in dire consequences, where debt collectors may also file a lawsuit and get a judgment against you. But thanks to the limitations on debt, there is a window collectors must work within to accomplish their jobs. On the expiry of the statute of limitations, the debt collector cannot sue you for collection of the debt as their case would be “time-barred.”

For a debt collector, it becomes paramount to collect a debt before the statue has taken effect. Without the ammunition of a lawsuit, collecting an expired debt can be extremely challenging.

How does the statute of limitations on debt work?

Each state sets its own statutes for the collection of debt. Usually, the state law where a person lives determines the statute of limitations on specific debts, even if he/she incurred the debt somewhere else. In a few states, the statute of limitations for credit card debt is 3 years, while it’s up to 10 in other states. So, the rules can vary significantly from state to state.

The time clock for the statute of limitations starts ticking on the date of the first missed payment. In some states, the clock restarts if you make a new payment. Even a partial payment on debt could restart the clock on the statute of limitations and give debt collectors more time to pursue legal action.

If the statute of limitations is expired but the debt collector keeps harassing you, you can send a letter to the collector requesting that they stop communicating with you.

Statute of limitations and the credit-reporting time period.

If the statute of limitations passes and claims become time-barred, it doesn’t mean you’re rid of that debt. A reminder of the unpaid credit stays on your credit reports despite the statute of limitation.

The reason is that a credit-reporting time period is entirely different from the statute of limitations. Derogatory marks — details about late payments and the debt you never repaid — typically highlight on the credit reports for seven years or longer.

It’s important to understand a debt outside its statute of limitations is not a forgiven debt. You still owe it, collection attempts can continue, and it will continue to show on your credit report.

Statute of Limitation on Secured and Unsecured Debts.

• A debtor cannot chase to take advantage of a limitation period for
• Secured debts like mortgages.
• Unsecured debts owed to the government (this includes student loans)
• Debt that cannot be discharged (child support payments, fines, and civil judgments that involve fraud.)
• The bait and switch by collectors.

If a collector sees a debt approaching its statute, they may pull out some less than scrupulous tactics to renew that debt. Remember, ANY payment made towards this debt resets the statute of limitations. Collectors may call and offer a seemingly “too good to be true” offer. Well, it is.

They may say, to avoid legal action, you just need to make a single small payment. Even if this debt is just days away from expiring, that small payment starts the whole time frame over, whatever it may be.

Bottom line

This may be one of the least understood factors related to debt and collections. The majority of Americans do not know there’s a statute of limitations for most types of debt. More importantly, they don’t know that even a partial payment of this debt resets the statute clock.

The post Is there a statute of limitations on debt? appeared first on Consumer Debt News.

To purchase something with the assurance that you will pay in the future is what’s called “Credit”. Generally in this situation, the form of credit will be credit cards. Actually, credit depends on what you buy and where you shop from. This is the reason why marketing executives and businessmen try to attract people who may not fit into their income requirements. They know that, like most Americans, they likely have credit of some kind. Credit gives the average consumer the ability to live beyond their means.

Is credit all the same?

The answer is “NO”. The different kind of purchases effect drastically on your credit score and hence your financial status.

Today, it is very common to pay for anything from big purchases to small items and groceries. With the introduction of the credit card, even those people with meager funds purchase items on credit, and they pay off their bill each month.

Side Note: This is an excellent way to build and maintain credit. Determining a fixed spend amount on a particular purchase each month, then putting it on your credit cards.

How is credit viewed differently based on what you’re purchasing?

The type of purchase on credit reflects whether you are holding a sound position in your business or not. For example, if you use your credit cards for second-hand clothing or retired tires, bail bond services, massages or casino gambling, your credit card issuer makes a note of these purchases as it will give a measure of your creditworthiness. In fact, it measures your financial distress, indicating your efficiency to repay the credit amount!

Here’s a list of few items which might generate a good or bad credit score depending on the type of interest payment.

• Interest rate you will pay when purchasing a car
• Your ability to lease an apartment
• Whether or not you get that new job, if you have to pay a security deposit when setting up utilities

How is your credit score calculated?

Following factors effect on the calculation of your credit score. Each of their weightage contributes differently to your overall credit score. For a more detailed review, see this article.

• Different types of credit
• Payment history
• Credit utilization
• Number of inquiries
• Credit age
• Revolving credit

It is useful for individuals or entities that experience sharp fluctuations in cash flow or face unexpected expenses in which the customer pays a commitment fee to a financial institution when he needs to borrow money. He is then allowed to use these funds when needed.

How is it that I can get approved for an auto loan but not a credit cards?

A good credit report in your arsenal helps you to borrow more money at affordable interest rates. Why? Because based on your credit history, the banks are assured that you are good at handling credit.

On the other hand, Bad credit ratings happen when money borrowed is not paid back on time or when it is simply not paid back at all. This is the reason why a person may be approved for an auto loan but not a credit card. You can purchase an Auto which has fewer interest rates on Auto Credit but to get a credit card, you need to furnish different assurances for repayment of credit card debts.

Why are my FICO Scores different for the 3 credit bureaus?

In the U.S., there are three national credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) that compete to capture, update and store credit histories on most U.S. consumers. Nevertheless, there is only little difference in the information they collect from the consumers for calculation of the credit scores. But, collection of some unique information by one bureau might lead to calculation of a different score from the other two!

Equifax offers numerical credit scores that range from 280 to 850. The bureau uses similar criteria and input information as FICO to calculate these scores, while Experian does not deploy the exact formula and hence its credit score differs from the other two. This is the reason why these credit bureaus have different credit scores.

Conclusion:

Maintaining low debt levels (especially credit card debts) and paying them off on time are important measures to ensure a good credit score. Having a proper proportion of credit, such as revolving credit and installment credit, can also help your credit scores. Staying on top of your payments regardless of credit type can make you eligible for any type of credit.

Obviously when life throws a curveball, it’s not as simple as just paying your bill on time every month. This is why it’s so important to build a small savings. This savings floats you through tough times so you don’t miss a beat in your debt free plan.\

The post From credit cards to auto loans, credit is viewed differently. appeared first on Consumer Debt News.

While some of our expenses are naturally more vital than others, some are by our own choices. Most people, especially the younger generation, constantly complain that they don’t have enough money. If you see their income and bank accounts, this really isn’t the case. It’s just they fail to keep track of their expenses, and hence don’t understand where their income vanishes away.

Though it’s perfectly fine to spend on a few luxuries once in a while, the priority should always be ‘needs’ rather than ‘wants’. In managing your budget and your income, you have to learn to differentiate between the two. To prioritize your expenses, start with needs and secured debts and transition towards wants and unsecured debts.

Setting priorities for your income.

Wants and needs

The best way to get started is to enlist your personal definitions of wants and needs. This way, you’ll have a guideline to review when your mind starts convincing you to make a purchase. Always try to be as objective as you can.

Prioritize your finances

Ideally, the differentiation between your wants and needs is the foundation of your income management. This will help to prioritize and differentiate which expenses are really necessary and which can be omitted from your list.

Budgeting

One of the important steps in prioritizing your income is to create a workable budget. List down all the “needs” and ensure they can be covered by your income. The balance amount can be used for your “wants”, or saved.

Now, that doesn’t mean that you need to suppress all your wants. For example, if you wish to own a car or a bike, you can plan to save from your income for them. This is completely reasonable, and quite healthy. If you work hard, you should reward yourself once in a while. As with many things in life, this comes down to moderation.

Determining necessities from luxuries.

Remember that savings should be included in the “needs” portion of your budget. You can cut down your luxury overspending like entertainment, dining, movies, etc. and redirect some of that spending into your savings account. You’d be surprised how micro-transactions can add up to large savings over time. Inculcate money-spending habits to spend wisely on necessities rather than luxuries.

Don’t bust your budget on overspending.

There are so many things that people are not able to decide if they need or want. In the moment, they feel they need them and so they spend more money rather than sparing. In retrospect, they realize what they felt was want, not need.

They fail to draw a line between their needs and their wants. They bust their budget on overspending expenses, from holidays to new clothes, from meals out to shiny cars. This is perfectly fine if they are affordable. However, if you have a goal to become free of debt, if you are saving towards your retirement or want to focus your efforts on a house deposit, you need to set priorities for your income.

Getting started right away.

Most people have wonderful excuses for not starting any planning for their financial life. Eventually, these people end up scrambling at the eleventh hour for a plan.
If you’re waiting for the “right time” to start saving, stop. There is no right time. It will always be a challenge, even if you make plenty of money. It’s funny how our wants tend to grow with our income.

The sooner you can start saving the better. It will begin to add up but can’t do so until you get it started.

Determine your Financial Priorities.

When you are trying to shape a financial plan or reach a certain financial goal, it is vital to have an idea of your financial priorities. After all, without setting priorities, it’s impossible to decide what you should do with your money.

So, with a little introspection, figure out what actions you ought to take to reach your financial goals. Determining your financial priorities can be a tedious task and might take a little bit of time. The good news is that once you figure out what your priorities are, it becomes significantly easier to get your finances on track.

Prioritizing expenses in order of necessity enables you to meet basic needs, protects your credit, and lowers your financial stress. This, eventually, allows you to focus on finding ways to cut unnecessary costs or increase your income. So, you can pay all of your bills, loans, and debts every month and even start saving for a wonderful future.

The post Setting priorities for your money. Understanding need from want. appeared first on Consumer Debt News.

When your debt becomes out of control and you don’t know what to do, the best option may be to seek a credible debt relief company. It’s a given that debt settlement may affect your credit, but most people would agree that it’s a better option than bankruptcy.

Now the question is, how can you determine the legitimacy of a debt settlement company? A bad choice may lead to further debt issues, or worse, hefty fees that you can’t afford. Luckily for consumers, heavy regulations have been imposed on the debt relief industry. This certainly doesn’t mean you’re safe, but it does make it easier to find a credible relief company.

While there’s regulations, it’s our job as consumers to find a credible debt relief company.

Let’s discuss the do’s and dont’s of choosing a debt relief company. These questions will help consumers determine if they are legitimate and trustworthy. But, before we get to “how” to choose a company, ask yourself…

Do I need a debt relief program?

If you find yourself struggling with unsecured debt such as credit cards, unsecured loans, medical bills, etc. – debt settlement is a good option for you. Generally speaking, you’ll get the most benefit from a settlement program if your overall debt amount is high. The higher the debt, the better the opportunity for reductions.

The advantage of these companies is that they have trained professionals who negotiate the settlements strategically, to satisfy both parties.

The negotiators have resources to achieve a maximum reduction on your debt.

Because of high interest rates, unsecured debt specifically takes a VERY long time to pay off. And, you end up paying significantly more for credit. Debt settlement offers a quick, interest free path to eliminating this type of debt.

Research about Company’s Credibility and Reputation.

There are a number of companies who are eagerly waiting to trap customers by their false promises. Make sure you are not the one to fall into such pits by ensuring to check the reputation and credibility of these debt settlement companies.

You can achieve this by doing a bit of research and checking their licensing. Credible debt relief companies should be licensed with the Department of Consumer Services and accredited through The American Fair Credit Council.

Terms and Fees charged.

Debt settlement companies are prohibited from collecting any type of up front fees or charges before they settle your first debt. So, you can eliminate any company from your list right away if they ask for a fee up front.

Be sure that the company explicitly specifies the fees they charge and the conditions they apply during the settlement of your debts. Most legitimate settlement companies will charge a percentage of the settled amount. The payment is not additional to you, it’s factored into your single monthly payment in your settlement program.

Beware of the shady procedures and requests.

A settlement company might ask you to keep your funds in a separate bank account. Always bear in mind that these funds are still yours and you are solely entitled to any interest. You can also access and maintain this account at any time. In other word, if a settlement company doesn’t give you full control of your settlement account, look elsewhere.

A settlement company should always contact you before completing a settlement. Remember, they are working on your behalf, so always be notified before a settlement is agreed upon.

Check the highlights of the debt relief program

Before trusting any company to shoulder the settlement tasks, make sure you review the minimum checkpoints listed below. Never fall trap to the debt settlement companies who:

• Boast a “new real debt settlement program” and asks you to pull out your personal credit card. (this is not to be confused with verifying your bank account, which is a common practice of settlement companies to ensure they can open the debt savings account for you.)
• Guarantees that your unsecured debt will be paid off by a specific date.
• Suggests to stop communication with your creditors without fully explaining why this is necessary and how it will affect you.
• Guarantees the payment of your unsecured debts for excessively low rates. A good settlement company will get you a good reduction on your debt. But, if a company tells you you’ll pay $100 of a $10,000 debt, you can rest assured they are not being honest.

Ensure availability of Guidance whenever needed.

So you’ve decided on a settlement company. A good first inquiry is the guidance they provide in case of any disputes or settlements with creditors. The consultants of such companies should be able to guide you and provide clear advice on what to do. They should also educate you about the negative consequences, including potential credit score impact. If a debt relief company tells you your credit score will absolutely not be affected, it’s a  red light.

Responsibilities and procedures of the company.

The debt settlement company should calculate an affordable monthly payment amount needed for successful debt settlement. They’ll analyze your entire financial situation. The process can be tedious, but it’s necessary to be sure it works for your budget, and also allots enough funds for them to do their jobs.

Struggling with tensions of debt payments is no doubt an overwhelming affair. It need not be one. By making yourself equipped with thorough and clear knowledge of settlement procedures you can ensure better financial decisions for your future.

The post How do I find a credible debt relief company? appeared first on Consumer Debt News.

Bankruptcy is an authorized process supervised by national bankruptcy courts. It’s intended to help individuals and businesses remove all or part of their debt and can also help them save a share of what they are in debt of. Most business or individuals that make this decision, understand that afterwards, they’ll have to recover from bankruptcy. Two main objectives of filing are:

• Fair payment of the legal claims of the creditors done by a reasonable distribution of debtor’s possessions
• To provide the insolvent a chance for a fresh start.

Types of Bankruptcy:

Voluntary bankruptcy: It can be brought upon itself by an insolvent debtor.

Involuntary bankruptcy: It can be forced by court order on the request of creditor’s petition.

Bankruptcy might help you become free of your debt, but it’s significant to understand that declaring bankruptcy has a serious, long-term effect on your credit.

Not to mention, it will persist on your credit report for a minimum 7 to 10 years, affecting your chances of opening new lines of financing or credit. When you are approved for new lines of credit, usually the interest rate will reflect the bankruptcy.

How it affects your credit

The chief matter that discourages most individuals from filing bankruptcy is the damaging effect it has on their credit. It’s 100% true that a bankruptcy can stay on your credit report for up to ten years and it hurts your credit score. Though, not filing for bankruptcy and letting your debts to go further into collections will also destructively impact your credit.

Liable on the kind of bankruptcy you file, Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, your credit score will decline anywhere from 150 to 230 points. This is sufficient to take a good credit score down to a reasonable or deprived one. Meanwhile, most lenders choose whether or not to extend you credit based on your credit score. A bankruptcy will make it much harder initially in obtaining a home loan, auto loan or credit cards.

The main remedy for this is time; however, there are extra actions you can take to absolutely improve your credit report and score. Eventually, if you succeed to manage your new debts well, your score will progressively increase. And, in time you’ll be running your financial life effectively, even if the bankruptcy is still visible on your report.

How long will it take to recover from bankruptcy?

Most people are worried about Bankruptcy as they feel it will take 7 years or more to improve from the wounds done to one’s credit. The truth is it can take a number of years for credit to recover. If you are extremely diligent with rebuilding your credit, it could be significantly shorter.

Traditionally, people who file for bankruptcy need to sustain themselves without the use of credit cards or loans. For many, this is difficult and what got them to this point in the first place. The first types of offers you’ll qualify for are high interest, bad/no credit loans and cards. The interest rates on these offers make it very difficult to keep up with, and can lead right back to square one.

First, if you think that you are going to declare bankruptcy, there are few initial actions which will be very helpful.

Step-1:

If your credit cards are open and working, it’s suggested to pay one or more off and leave it/them out of Bankruptcy. If you own a car which is being funded then it would be best to keep it away from Bankruptcy. These things can be your positive trade lines in order to get out of Bankruptcy.

Step-2:

After you receive your discharge papers, you should follow a few more steps. You can get a secured credit card from a major bank. If they refuse then get one through First Premier or Capital One.

Why not just try to get a normal credit card?

Well, in short, you can’t for a while following bankruptcy. If you do by chance get an offer, the interest rate will be high enough to put you back in bankruptcy. To rebuild credit, sometimes you have to suffer the downsides of a secured card for a brief time.

Unhappily these cards have a high upfront fee such as $200. But the benefit they yield is rebuilding credit quickly. After this, consider enrolling into a credit repair program which will help get your score back up faster than alone.

When your credit score reaches around 700, the mainstream offers will start rolling in. Your goal must be moving from a secured card to a standard, unsecured credit card. By this point, you will have rebuilt using a secured credit card, so this new unsecured line of credit should have a significantly better interest rate.

After achieving the unsecured card, keep your consumption low. Make your payments on time every month. If you can’t follow these few rules for having unsecured debt, it’s best to avoid it altogether. One bankruptcy on your report is bad enough, and remember, you generally can’t file again for another 8 years.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Bankruptcy

Declaring bankruptcy can aid in relieving you of your legal responsibility to pay your debts. It also can help secure your home, car, business or skill to function monetarily, liable on what kind of Bankruptcy petition you file.

But, as we learned, it is a major detriment to your credit rating, making it more problematic to get a mortgage, loan or low-rate credit card, or buy a car, home, apartment or business.

If bankruptcy is your only option, be sure to use the methods discussed to rebuild your credit. Getting out of debt is one thing, staying out of debt is another.

The post How long does it take to recover from Bankruptcy? appeared first on Consumer Debt News.

When we talk about the current credit card market, there are two major things on the rise in recent years. First, card rewards and incentives are increasing, and second, credit card debt is rising in conjunction.

Think about it like this: The upward trend in rewards is causing an upward trend of debt. The reason is basic psychology. We’re given a reward to complete an action, perhaps spending X amount at a certain store will garnish you 25% cash back rewards. This seems great, you get what you want, and get 25% cash back for putting it on your credit card.

The truth is, while you may be getting perks and benefits, you’re still racking up unsecured debt at very high interest rates. Is that 25% cash back reward really worth it?

The following are few ways in which your credit card rewards might not be as generous as they seem:

Airline credit card rewards are usually not what they appear to be.

Adding miles is one of the common reasons people give for holding on to their credit cards. There are many no-win situations including the annual fees of these cards. Suppose that the credit card offers you a mileage point for every single dollar spent.

It will charge you an $80 annual fee for this offer. If you spend $8,000 on the card each year, it’ll take almost three years to have enough miles added to your card to get a free one-way coast to coast ticket (usually 25,000 mileage points). You will have to spend $240 in annual fees by then which is equal to the amount in which you can buy a round trip plane ticket by yourself.

Even if you start off with a definite number of bonus-miles just for signing up, the scheme isn’t certainly planned in your favor. Some of the miles expire before you even use them. People sometimes complain about airline miles in a way that the points are impossible to use. The airlines cap the number of seats which they give for reward travel on each flight.

What happens usually is that the airlines sell miles to banks. The banks then use these miles as rewards to attract consumers and encourage them to spend on their card. This has caused a surplus amount of miles with no more available seats to be purchased with these miles. With increasing competition for reward seats, each mile/point is becoming less valuable. Thus, the miles required for claiming a free reward flight keep going up.

NOTE: It’s cheaper to buy your own ticket rather than using a credit card and earning it with added miles. Also, there will be less risk of ending up in debt. Now, if you travel regularly, and plan accordingly, you can utilize airline miles to your advantage. Your average consumers, however is not likely benefiting much from these rewards.

Cash-back cards are unable to give you actual cash back.

Although, people like cash as much as the next person, cash-back cards are not a good option to get cash and save it. In order to get cash back from a credit card, you have to spend on said credit card, usually thousands. And, you’re likely only looking at $100 cash back.

We probably should have started with this one, but it’s not actual cash in your pocket but just a credit applied to your account. So your cash back reward is a credit to your account, so you can spend more money! Are you beginning to see how this works?

Cash-back credit cards do not generally give you cash on every purchase. Some companies limit it to gas or dining out. Some may claim to give back on each purchase but limit it to a certain amount of each transaction. Additionally, the credit-card companies usually have a strict limit on the amount that they will give you back in a billing period or a year.

NOTE: Always read the fine print on the application and pay attention for the details limit paragraph.

Don’t be fooled by credit card rewards. The true purpose is simply to make you spend more, plunging you further into debt.

The post The ugly truth about airline miles, cash back, and credit card rewards appeared first on Consumer Debt News.

Let’s get to the point without sugarcoating it—it’s tough to keep record of your finances. With debts to pay, bills to deal with, receipts to track, not to mention keeping your finances in the best condition possible. It’s a lot for anyone to handle, even without sever debt. Many people don’t keep a budget simply because it’s not convenient, enter budgeting apps. Not only can they help you create and manage a budget, they can help control your debt.

Budgeting can be significantly easier with an app

Budget apps are making finances much easier. As the budget software for your laptop took away the burden of keeping record of everything on paper, these budget apps are making the software portable. You don’t need to stay at home in order to see your finances on a computer, rather all of your accounts are available at a glance with the help of these apps.

When it comes to spending, some have built in reminders, warnings, and even surplus notifications. These things in a single tool help give consumers a clear picture of their finances at any given time. With that clear view, you can better plan to take control of your debt. Many budgeting apps have debt repayment scheduling as well, another good tool in an overall debt reduction plan.

Without wasting more time, let’s find the best debt management budget app for your finances. Following are a few budget apps we think are good options.

You Need a Budget (YNAB)

YNAB is not just a budget app but a change in mindset. It’s better to describe it as a money management app, because it makes you see how you actually organize your cash. In this app, each dollar you spend has a purpose and gets allocated. Your bills, rainy day funds, trip outs, and your debt will all be allocated to different envelops in the app. The app also builds buffers so that you are less reliant on payday. Having used this app, I can say the buffers are great.

If you are looking to pay on your debt, YNAB assists you by tracking debt repayments in addition to your current spending. The app also tells you to spend what you actually have, curbing over-spending. It’s very helpful in stopping you from spending beyond your limits. It also reduces the need for credit cards and loans.

Mint

It is the pinnacle of financial management apps. It is developed by the company Intuit, the same company that also runs QuickBooks (one of the best accounting tools used for freelancers).

Mint’s final task is to make budgeting easy. You can set up notifications for future bills.
You can also set alerts reminding you when you’re safe to spend more than your budget. Additionally, you can set regular saving goals and can see tailored deals for loans, investments and credit cards.

Every dollar

Not every app is for budgeting or debt management. Some apps help you build wealth. Every dollar is that type of app.

Every dollar makes it simple. Simply add your monthly income and plan your expenses. After that, you will get an overview which will help you see what your current financial condition is. There is an option of subscribing to Every Dollar Plus, which allows you to sync your transactions automatically and see your current balance easily. There are available budget coaching sessions too which will help you organize your finances.

In conclusion

These budget management apps are beneficial in many ways, such as:

• They give you a full view of your incoming and outgoing money
• You can do future planning based on your budget
• Debt management will also be easy thanks to repayment scheduling
• Less financial stress – I can personally say I felt less stress after incorporating a budgeting app into my plan
• Give a raise to your savings – most budgeting apps allow you to setup automatic savings
• Cut expenses as you can see them – As unneeded expenses reveal themselves with these tools, cut where needed.

The post Best budgeting apps to help you take control of your debt appeared first on Consumer Debt News.

Seeing the credit collection letter when you open the mailbox is a daunting feeling. Their methods seem aggressive, sometimes even threatening. This is because debt collections have to be made for this agency to recoup their cost. After all, they likely purchased your debt from the original creditor, albeit for a fraction of the original amount. Their inability to recover the debt from you results in unpaid unsecured debt, and a loss for the company.

If you have debt in collections, it’s hurting your credit. So, if you want to understand what unsecured debt is, how it affects your credit score and how you can avoid or get out of collections, read on:

What are Unsecured Debts?

Before we go into detail about how collections hurt your credit, you need to understand the concept of unsecured debt. Unsecured debt is any debt that is not backed by collateral and is only based on your credit worthiness, your word, or both.

So, unlike secured debt where the lender can repossess your asset used as collateral, unsecured debt can only be recovered monetarily from the borrower. The original creditor that extended you the credit is now facing a loss. They have not received payment from you, and have no collateral to recoup. When they deem an account “uncollectible”, they sell the account to a collection agency for a fraction of the amount owed.

Your debt is now with a collection agency, who has purchased it from the original lender. This collection agency will now pursue the debt from you, usually aggressively. This process could repeat multiple times. Once the collector that bought the debt has given up, they may sell it to another agency, at an even further reduced rate. This is why the company contacting you regarding a debt changes after a period of time. Obviously, this is not an ideal situation to be in, but it’s important to understand how this is going to impact your credit.

How Defaulting on Unsecured Debt Impacts Your Credit Score?

So now that you know what unsecured debt is, you should have a look at a few factors that arise when your unsecured debt goes into collections:

Credit Collection: When you default on your unsecured debt, eventually your debt goes into collections. You’ll generally know this has happened when the letters and calls from the collection agency begin. And when that happens, the collections are added on your credit report where they stay for up to seven years if not paid.

Lawsuits: If the lenders are not paid their money, they can file a lawsuit. Without collateral to recoup, the lender can sue you personally for the debt. This lawsuit can result in a civil judgment, having a big impact on your credit score.

Reported Late Payments: Even if you are paying your unsecured debt and you make a few late payments, the lender can report them. And the reported late payments also result in loss of credit score points. This is especially true if your payments are 30, 60 or 90+ days late.

How to Avoid Debt Collections on Unsecured Debts?

There are a few things that you can do to avoid getting the debt collector on your back. Have a look at them below:

Pay on Time: The first thing to do is obvious; pay your debts on time. You can make a payment plan, show it to the lender and stick to it. A collection agency is likely to work with you if they see you have a plan to repay the debt.

Negotiate with the Lender: You can also ask your creditor to let you pay a smaller lump sum in a single payment. If they agree, gather some funds by selling a few things and pay the debt. Be sure to always get this agreement in writing from the collection agency to protect yourself. It’s also a good idea to ensure the agency will report the defaulted credit as paid to the credit bureaus.

Debt Settlement: One of the best ways to avoid seeing collection letters is by entering a debt relief program. You can hire a professional company and let them negotiate the debt for you. A good settlement company will drastically reduce your debt amount, time of repayment and interest rates. Of course, keep in mind, it comes with a temporary credit ding.

Final Words:

Make sure to never let your debt go into collections in the first place. Easier said than done, but it is the ultimate goal.  Our advice as always is to seek council with a professional debt consultant if you’re currently troubled by unsecured debt.

The post My Debt is in Collections – How Much does it hurt my Credit? appeared first on Consumer Debt News.

Debt collectors can be very difficult to deal with. A debt collector (also known as debt collection company or debt collection agency) is a company that specializes in pursuing payment of debts from individuals and companies. They have managed to surpass this job description by also adding fear to the hearts of debtors with their aggressive tactics. However, they can be dealt with and you have rights.

One thing you should know is that they are restricted by the fair debt collection practices act. There are things they can and cannot do outlined in this legislation to ensure consumer protection. This article lists some of the things they can and cannot do so that you are well aware of your rights when dealing with them.

Let’s start with some things debt collectors cannot do

Harass you or anyone related to you

For consumer protection, debt collection companies cannot, under any circumstance harass you or anyone related to you either physically or on the phone. Harassment could mean incessant calls, using foul language, or threatening you. This is illegal under the fair debt collection practices act for a debt collection company to do any of the above to you or a relative.

Contact another person about your debt

Any form of contact made with another person concerning your debt, be it information published or shared to any other person about your debt is illegal under the fair debt collection practices act.

A debt collector can’t arrest you for debt

No matter how aggressive debt collectors may seem, they really cannot arrest you for debt.

Pursue you for debt you don’t owe

This is illegal, but it happens a lot. If you are not sure of a debt that collectors are pressuring you to pay, check your credit report to confirm.
What can collection companies do?

Put pressure on you

While the fair debt collection practices act may prohibit debt collectors from harassing you, they are allowed to put pressure on you. This could include calling you frequently or writing to you constantly. These forms of pressure are allowed, as long as they don’t violate consumer protection.

Sue you for debt

Debt collection agencies cannot arrest you directly for debt, but they can sue you for payment on a debt. If you don’t show up in court, you will lose by default and a court order will be issued against you. If you disobey this order still, the debt collector can pursue a warrant for your arrest.

Sell your debt

A debt collection agency is legally allowed to sell your debt either in full or in parts to another debt collector. So if you start getting calls from a new number regarding the same debt, know that it is within their rights to do so.

Pursue you for expired debt

You cannot be sued for expired debts. But, debt collectors can chase payments on these debts.

You should be aware of all your rights as a consumer so that no debt collector will infringe on them. Study, learn and exercise your rights.

The post Strategies for Dealing with Debt Collectors appeared first on Consumer Debt News.

The debt level of American citizens has run up to trillions of dollars and is expected to keep climbing. The government fears the debt crisis, and the average citizen just wants to sleep better at night. With these issues affecting the country, one method that consumers look to is debt relief.

There are different kinds of debt relief programs, from debt consolidation to debt settlement and even Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. The one you choose will be dependent on your kind of debt. However, in this article, we will study debt settlement specifically and the associated debt relief program fees.

What is Debt Settlement?

Debt settlement is a system where a negotiated settlement is made between you and your creditors so that you pay them significantly less than what you originally owed. This applies specifically to unsecured debt; credit cards, personal no-collateral loans, payday loans, store credit cards, and more.

You may be wondering, why would anyone settle for less than what you actually owe? The creditor will allow a negotiated settlement to be paid instead of the full amount when they believe you are not going to pay them back. Remember, this is an unsecured debt so there is no collateral for a creditor to repossess in order to recoup their loss. It’s better to receive part of their money than to receive nothing at all.

The debt settlement company acts as the middle-man and receives a percentage for helping you negotiate settlements with your various creditors. They set you up with an escrow account that you make monthly payments to. As the funds build, the company settles your debts for significant savings.

Many people believe that debt settlement is the best debt relief program for people with lots of unsecured debts like credit card debts. The truth is, while debt settlement is better than debt consolidation for unsecured debts, sometimes Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is the right choice. This is an unpleasant route nobody wants to travel, and your best bet is to first speak to a debt relief company to see if they can help.

How do they make money?

Now that we have understood a little about debt settlement, let’s look at how debt settlement companies charge debt relief program fees from customers. Typically, debt relief program fees should be a percentage of the negotiated settlement or a percentage of the difference between the negotiated settlement and the original debt owed.

For example, if you owe $10,000 and you approach a debt settlement company to help, they can negotiate with your creditor to a lower balance of $5000. The settlement company will generally charge you 25% on the $5000 which equals $1250. This means you end up paying $6250 to be out of debt instead of $10,000. The speed at which this happens is greatly increased as well. Paying off $10k in unsecured debts will generally take 8 to 12 years with the interest. With a good debt relief program, not only do you pay far less, it’s complete paid off in about 24 to 48 months.

This is just an example so that you can grasp the basic concept of what actually happens. Settlement companies with a good negotiation department can often settle unsecured debts for surprising amounts.

Also, debt relief companies are not legally allowed to ask for money as down payment before they settle your debt. If any debt settlement company asks you to negotiate payment before they settle your debt, that’s a sure sign that they are illegitimate.

Before you worry anymore about the ongoing consumer debt crisis and reoccurrence of the 2008 market crash, worry more about understanding debt relief and getting the best settlement you can get. Good luck.

The post How Do Debt Settlement Fees Work? appeared first on Consumer Debt News.