- Establish a plan.
- Know your debt help options.
- Build a budget and commit yourself to attacking your debt, and if you cannot self-manage then get debt help fast.
Debt Help & Debt Consolidation Help to Solve Your Debt Problems (with video)
If you are in debt, you probably need to get debt help to get yourself debt free and back on solid financial footing. Bills.com can help you evaluate your debt help options, from debt consolidation loans to credit counseling to debt resolution. Many people let debt pile up and do not get aggressive about getting debt free. If you really want to get your finances back in order and your creditors off your back, you need to:
- Establish a plan and start with a budget and a commitment to helping yourself before looking for third party help
- If you want lower total cost or payments, know what your debt help options are
- Start paying off your debt
Did you know that just by calling your creditors and requesting to be on their "hardship" program that you can cut your interest rates, sometimes even qualifying for zero interest charges or a reduction in the size of your required monthly payment? Did you know that with the help of a credible debt resolution firm, people in serious debt hardship may be able to find a plan to negotiate resolutions on their debts for as little as half of what they owe? There are many tools and tips and secrets we have uncovered to help you find your own path the debt freedom.
Bills.com has aggregated all the debt help resources and information you need to start tackling your debt today. We even have a Debt Help Savings Center that will help you find the best solution for consolidating and paying down your debt, whether that is debt consolidation, credit counseling, debt settlement or other forms of debt help. Bills.com will help identify what options you have and which ones are best suited to help you tackle your debt. Browse through our articles, debt help guides, and debt relief tips and get all the information you need to get debt help.
Understanding Debt: The Impact and Options for Consumers
Louisville, KY | June 14, 2013
June 14, 2013
You mentioned a hardship. Call your county bar association and ask for the names of the organizations that provide no-cost legal services to people in your area with low or no income. Make an appointment with one of those organizations, and bring all of the documents you have have regarding this debt to your meeting. The lawyer you meet will advise you of your rights, and whether you have a cause of action (a legal reason to file a lawsuit) against the collection agent for failing to follow the terms of your settlement agreement.
My guess is you will not need to file a lawsuit to gain the collection agent's attention, drop the garnishment, and restart the payment plan.
Louisville, KY | June 17, 2013
June 18, 2013
Big Pine, CA | April 10, 2013
April 11, 2013
One option to discuss is filing a motion to vacate the judgment. You mentioned you were never given notice of the small-claims case filed against you. This is contrary to state and federal civil procedure law, and may form the basis for appealing the judgment and throwing out the case against you.
Another issue to discuss is your state's statute of limitations for judgments. You indicated you reside in California. The California statute of limitations of a judgment — in other words, a judgment's lifetime — is 10 years. It can be renewed before its expiration to tack on an additional 10 years. Your lawyer can contact the court to learn if American Express renewed the judgment.
You asked about the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Under the FCRA, the consumer credit reporting agencies can publish information about the judgment for 7 years or the statute of limitations for the judgment, whichever is longer. If the judgment expired without being renewed, and Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion are still publishing this information, then file a dispute with the offender(s).
Brown, IN | February 11, 2013
February 12, 2013
Our advice? Let us assume Sallie Mae or its collection agent receives a judgment against you. Let us also assume you receive a lump-sum inheritance you mentioned. You would be wise to withdraw as much as you can from your account and leave only as much in the account as you need to pay your monthly bills.
See the Bills.com article Sallie Mae Private Student Loans to learn more about your repayment options.
Vassar Township, MI | October 17, 2012
October 21, 2012
Jacksonville, FL | February 25, 2012
February 26, 2012
I say this without blaming your mom, as she was pressured into paying on the debt, but she shot herself in the foot, when she made a payment on the debt in 2010, if the SOL had passed. Paying on an old debt can start the SOL again. If she paid on a debt that was not hers, making the payment does not make the debt her responsibility.
February 26, 2012
Another question in the vein of stopping this from happening again. Can I put a freeze on her credit that only lets me approve any new account, credit card or revolving account (she orders a lot by phone), to be created? When reviewing her credit reports, I found a new account that she opened without me knowing. She takes no responsibility for her debt and has proven she can't control her spending. I would like to avoid any future issues for her and myself. I currently have power of attorney for her. Thanks again.
February 26, 2012
Lexington, SC | February 15, 2012
February 16, 2012
- Your goals
- Improving your credit score
- Protecting yourself from collections
- Clearing out old derogatory accounts to qualify for a mortgage or loan
- The status of the statute of limitations on your debts
- The aggressiveness of your creditors.
Old accounts should fall off your report 7½ years after your first delinquency. You can dispute items on your credit report that should no longer be appearing.
Regarding debts that are within the 7½ period, some may be past their statute of limitations. You can choose to do nothing with those and use the SOL as a defense, if any creditor tries to collect on debts past their SOL. You could also try to negotiate a pay for delete, using the fact that the SOL has passed as leverage. You can also try negotiating pay for deletes on the debts that have not reached their SOL. In either case, the creditor does not have to agree to have the item deleted, if it so chooses.
If no creditor is contacting you, reaching out to the creditor can, in some instances, bring about aggressive collection efforts.
Hillsboro, OH | November 04, 2011
November 04, 2011
Richmond, CA | October 27, 2011
October 27, 2011
Richmond, CA | October 24, 2011
October 24, 2011
Malden, MA | October 22, 2011
October 24, 2011
If some entity purchased the right to collect on this debt and is contacting you prior to the expiration of the SOL, you may have to pay the debt. You can try to negotiate a settlement or payment plan with the new collector. If you can reach an agreement (and if the debt is within the SOL and you can't prove it was settled), then you could be sued.
Regarding your other accounts, if the creditors agreed to delete the accounts from your credit report, then you need to contact them to make sure they do. If you did not negotiate a pay for delete, at the time you reached your settlements, then the debts are likely to remain on your report.
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