When you deal with your credit card debts, you can expect, at best, 30% off your total amount owing. If you employ a professional to do the job, you would expect a 40% to 60% debt waiver for yourself; potentially, a full debt waiver is on the cards.
Generally, debt settlement companies can get settlements for 40-50% of the total dues owed by the borrower.
If you decide to offer a lump sum to pay off the debt for less than you owe, understand that no general rule applies to all collection agencies. Some want 75%–80% of what you owe. Others will take 50%, while others might settle for one-third or less.
It is always better to pay off your debt in full if possible. While settling an account won't damage your credit as much as not paying at all, a status of "settled" on your credit report is still considered negative.
Typical debt settlement offers range from 10% to 50% of what you owe. The longer you allow debt to go unpaid, the greater your risk of being sued.
Typically, a creditor will agree to accept 40% to 50% of the debt you owe, although it could be as much as 80%, depending on whether you're dealing with a debt collector or the original creditor. In either case, your first lump-sum offer should be well below the 40% to 50% range to provide some room for negotiation.
So, you can get out of debt for a lower percentage of what you owe as the clock runs out. In some cases, you may be able to settle for much less than that 48% average. Collectors holding old debts may be willing to settle for 20% or even less.
Pay more than the minimum payment each month.
If you have 30k in credit card debt, you need to be making significant payments toward your bill or your debt will continue to multiply. This means paying more than the minimum payment each month, and ideally more than what you added to your statement in the previous month.
If you're ready to negotiate, don't be afraid to ask for a lower settlement amount. Lenders will typically be more amenable to negotiation if they believe the debtor is truly dedicated to repaying the debt.
It's better to pay off a debt in full (if you can) than settle. Summary: Ultimately, it's better to pay off a debt in full than settle. This will look better on your credit report and help you avoid a lawsuit. If you can't afford to pay off your debt fully, debt settlement is still a good option.
Start by offering cents on every dollar you owe, say around 20 to 25 cents, then 50 cents on every dollar, then 75. The debt collector may still demand to collect the full amount that you owe, but in some cases they may also be willing to take a slightly lower amount that you propose. A payment plan.
Debt-to-income ratio is your monthly debt obligations compared to your gross monthly income (before taxes), expressed as a percentage. A good debt-to-income ratio is less than or equal to 36%. Any debt-to-income ratio above 43% is considered to be too much debt.
If the collection agency refuses to settle the debt with you, or if the agency or creditor agrees to settle, but you renig on your end of the agreement, the collection agency or creditor may decide to pursue more aggressive collection efforts against you, which may include a lawsuit.
Subtract the interest charges from your total payment to figure out how much principal you pay off in any given month. In our example, your payment is $210, and the interest charges amount to $70. Subtract 210 - 70 = 140, so you pay off $140 of your loan this month.
It's a process where the lender agrees to forgive a portion of your debt in exchange for a promise from you to pay the remainder; use this as a last option. This settlement process is uncommon among credit card-providing companies.
Settling a debt will not increase your credit score, but it won't hurt it as much as not paying at all. Debt settlement is a good option if you are struggling to make ends meet and get back on track financially. You can end up saving money and put yourself in a position to improve your credit score in the long run.
What percentage should I offer a full and final settlement? It depends on what you can afford, but you should offer equal amounts to each creditor as a full and final settlement. For example, if the lump sum you have is 75% of your total debt, you should offer each creditor 75% of the amount you owe them.
Most cards have a variable interest rate, meaning it can fluctuate based on several factors, including your card issuer's discretion. You can negotiate a lower interest rate on your credit card by calling your credit card issuer—particularly the issuer of the account you've had the longest—and requesting a reduction.
The time limit is sometimes called the limitation period. For most debts, the time limit is 6 years since you last wrote to them or made a payment. The time limit is longer for mortgage debts.
Credit cards are another example of a type of debt that generally doesn't have forgiveness options. Credit card debt forgiveness is unlikely as credit card issuers tend to expect you to repay the money you borrow, and if you don't repay that money, your debt can end up in collections.
In most states, the debt itself does not expire or disappear until you pay it. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, debts can appear on your credit report generally for seven years and in a few cases, longer than that.
No, you really can't get rid of credit card debt without paying. Filing bankruptcy for credit card debt will indeed lets you escape credit card debt. But if you're asking, “How can I get rid of credit card debt without paying anything to anybody?” the answer is still: You can't!
Professional debt collectors and collection agencies make money by collecting money. If they don't collect, they don't make money. So, they can be relentless and rarely give up.