Pros and cons of Do It Yourself Free Debt Settlement VS a Debt Negotiation Company
As it gets increasingly tougher for Americans to pay bills; whether due to higher costs of living, lost employment or reduced income from less working hours or other reasons, many are considering ways to get out of debt.
Options; however, are becoming more limited. The mortgage meltdown and housing collapse have resulted in limited refinancing. When home values fell, many homeowners ended up owing more for their homes than they were worth. And bad credit people certainly aren't offered loans as they once were. And now with the auto industry bailouts and the declined values of vehicles, auto refinance loans are nearly impossible or completely impractical.
If those issues were not bad enough, many Americans are also suffering unemployment or reduced income due to less working hours. For these people, the debt relief option of credit counseling and debt management just isn't enough.
It's no wonder that some heavy debt people are reluctantly turning to debt settlement to chargeoff a percentage of the balances they owe, although knowing that such action typically results in bad credit scores and difficulty in getting credit approval over the next seven years. Yet since many Americans already have bad credit scores and aren't likely to get credit anyway, they figure they have nothing to lose.
If you're one of these Americans and you're wondering if you should negotiate settlements on your own with creditors or if you should hire a debt negotiation company, review the main pros and cons below:
Main Pros and Cons | Do-It-Yourself Settlement | Debt Negotiation Company |
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Contacting Creditors and negotiating a debt settlement amount with each one. | You have to do this yourself. | The company will do it for you. |
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Drafting and sending a debt settlement agreement letter to each creditor. | You have to do this yourself. | The company will do it for you. |
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Which method will reduce the total balances owed the most? | It depends upon your negotiating skills. | A professional company may be able to negotiate a lower payoff balance. |
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Which method will result in the fastest settlement? | It depends upon your skills and the timeliness of your actions. | A professional company is more experienced and may be able to reach settlements faster. |
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Which method has the least fees? | The only fees you pay are the ones you agree to with creditors. | A debt negotiation company will charge a fee, but that fee may be offset by bigger chargeoff savings. |
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Which method takes the most upfront money to payoff settlements? | Since creditors typically want the settlement balance immediately and in full, you'll need to have the agreed settlement money to send them right away. | Some debt negotiation companies will fund the settlement for you by paying your creditors the agreed amounts, and let your repay them through monthly installments. |
Learn Do-It-Yourself Free Debt Settlement Tips to negotiate with creditors.
Request assistance from a Debt Negotiation Company to settle creditor chargeoffs for you.
Review more free tips, how to instructions and advice about debt settlement chargeoffs.
