Advantages of Hiring Debt Negotiators

Do you have a lot of consumer debt? Maybe you are having a hard time hanging on to your home, or you find that paying your monthly car payment is becoming ever more challenging. Then again, you probably also have a lot of credit card debt that – although not secured by any assets – eats up a huge chunk of income each month; at the same time, the balances fail to go down. You have probably wondered more than once if there is any chance to get out of this deep hole you find yourself in, but finding a way out seems to become more difficult each month.

It is during these considerations that the services of debt negotiators and debt settlement agencies seem like the proverbial panacea. At face value, their services seem almost too good to be true: after all, seasoned debt negotiators suggest that consumers could be rid of their consumer debts, such as credit card bills, within a few short years! How is this possible? Some consumers may actually be wondering if this is truly legal or if it is the kind the consumer fraud that has recently been filling the evening newscasts.

Debt negotiation and debt settlement companies employ counselors who sit down with consumers to evaluate the totality of their indebtedness. In some cases they help consumers – for the first time – to list all of their expenses and also all of their income, to get a better understanding of the individual’s debt to income ratio and also overall fiscal health. After compiling an exhaustive list of creditors, debt negotiators advise their clients which creditors they can work with. Usually, these are the creditors that hold unsecured loans, such as credit cards, whereas the creditors with secured loans – the mortgage banker and the car loan holder – do not work with debt negotiators.

After the list of creditors is compiled, the debt negotiator contacts them and actively goes to work for the consumer. She or he will seek to find a lowest figure the creditor is willing to accept in payment, and the highest amount of money the creditor is willing to write off. It is not uncommon to see overall debt reductions by 30%, 40%, and even more. The other advantage of working with a debt negotiator is the reversal of late fees, over the limit fees, and other assorted fees that might have actually increased your credit card balances.

Consumers can confidently choose from the wide array of debt negotiators and also debt settlement companies by visiting the website for the Better Business Bureau. Of course, even with a stellar BBB rating, consumers will be wise to read all of the disclosures the debt negotiator offers them and obviously never to sign anything that is blank or not properly filled out. Keeping copies of everything is another great way for consumers to stay in the loop of their efforts to climb out of debt, and to ensure that once they reach their financial freedom, they can look back with pride on their accomplishment.