Debt Consolidation - What Do I Do If I Cant Pay Credit Card Debt -
Seems like you have decided to take this on yourself in the place of hiring a debt relief company.If you have the skills and talents to compete with these professionals when it comes to negotiation, communication and documentation then give it a shot.Not too long ago, a nurse with a little bit of groundwork in tax laws took on the IRS single-handedly then so can you in the case of debt relief.
Keep these points in mind when you are settling credit card debt on your own. These three tips will ensure that you are one step closer to successfully taking on those credit card companies.
Make Sure that Your Accounts Are Significantly Delinquent
You might want to negotiate for lower principal amounts on your credit card bills as soon as you cannot pay the minimum monthly payment required or as soon as you feel that you cannot pay your debts due to other financial obligations. Keep in mind, however, that the debt relief process cannot be availed of until and unless your credit card accounts are significantly delinquent.
Wondering how delinquent?Delinquent credit card accounts are written off by creditors once the 180+ days windows has completed.The writeoff causes the account to drop in value significantly and third parties usually buy these for real cheap - sometimes around 4-6% of the original amount.
To avoid this from happening, the credit card company will be more than willing to settle your debts through negotiation. After all, if they can collect 50 percent of the total debt, it is still way better than the 5 percent they will get from third parties.
Keep Descriptive And Detailed Documentation
The days of verbal agreements holding any value are long gone and especially when it comes to credit card debt settlement. After all, it will be your word against the word of the collection agents and you should know by now that nobody wins in such a case.
Instead, you should maintain detailed and descriptive records of everything pertaining to the negotiation and settlement of your credit card loans.Send out the letters with accurate and comprehensive information to clearly specified addresses/addressees. Then, file these letters and other forms of communication in a binder for easy access.
If you must make a conversation over the phone, keep descriptive records of it. Take note of the time and date, the persons you spoke to, their contact number and the general flow of the conversation.
Use Mail That Can Be Tracked
Once the settlement has been reached, send your payment through certified mail or any mail that can be tracked. Send the check together with a memo saying that said check is for full payment, if indeed it is, along with a copy of the agreed settlement. This way, complete documentation is achieved.
Dont forget the specific strategies that you need to use to settle the debt by yourself. Just remember these three tips and you should be alright during the entire process.
These are some specific steps that you can take. For more information on how to clean up your credit report you should read our articles about getting the best credit card debt relief help