The concept of a debt settlement is relatively new on the global scene. This is primarily because the recession period has not yet ended completely. In fact, it is only now that most people are starting to realise what a relief the recession brings to the economy as a whole. People are starting to take their bearings again after the chaos that the great depression had caused. So, while the country is still recovering, many are thinking of the concept of debt settlement.
One of the most important things that can be learnt by anyone in this field is that there is an option for every kind of situation. Debt settlement is the process in which the creditor and the debtor reach an agreement for reduced debts. While the creditor is usually more concerned about getting back at his losses, the debtor will think only of reducing the principal amount. This is because the creditor would rather get something than nothing at all. So, the debtor would try to bargain for the least amount that could be paid. Once the debtor accomplishes this, he can expect some relief from the heavy interest as well.
How does this process actually work? The debtor starts by calculating how much he needs to pay back to the creditor based on the present amount of money. Then he calculates how much he can save if he gets a 50% discount on the principal amount. If he gets the discount, he will be able to pay back half of the total debt, which means that he will have to pay just the principle amount left instead of the full amount paid off.
To get a settlement, the debtor contacts his lender and informs him of his financial status. The payment of the settlement amount would start when he pays his first installment and the entire payment will be done regularly until the entire settlement amount has been completed. He will need to make regular payments towards getting his debt settled. The payment schedules are decided beforehand and the creditors are sure that they will get their payment if the debtor makes them regular payments.
How a debt settlement actually works is that the settlement company works out a deal with the creditors for a discount on the principal amount owed. They also provide for the regular repayment plan. These companies usually require a regular payment amount from the debtor for the company to work out the settlement plan. They charge a small fee for their service and it is often a lot less than the actual reduction in debt or interest rate that they provide.
There are certain requirements that the creditors need before they consider a settlement agreement. For instance, they would like to know the monthly income of the debtor and the total expenditure that the household maintains. This information helps the company to calculate how much the debtor can settle for. The debtor and the settlement counselor would need to talk about the plans and the terms agreed upon. The counselor is the one who would negotiate with the creditors to achieve the best possible deal for the debtor.
It is better to take the help of a professional settlement company rather than going on your own. You would not want to negotiate on your own and then not be able to pay for the settlement amount. You would also not want to go through the whole process again. So you must hire a settlement advisor on the first instance. You can ask your family members and friends for recommendations and if they have any reliable settlement advisors then you can go ahead and hire them.
Your credit score will come down slightly but this would be temporary and will soon go back up. After a while you can get back to your normal credit scores and start paying off your debts in installments. This will help you financially in the long run as your settlement amount is considerably less than the actual debt. Your credit score will not get affected much and will only be slightly impacted in the short term. How a debt settlement actually works is that you pay a smaller amount initially and the creditor agrees to a discount in the long run.
