Want to get rid of your debt but don’t want to file for bankruptcy or risk foreclosure? If so, debt settlement is an option worth considering. You might think you can’t settle your debt on your own, but the truth is you can do it yourself. There’s no law that says you have to hire a company to handle the debt settlement process. In fact, hiring an outside company usually means paying the company a hefty commission based on the total amount of your debt.
The key to successful debt settlement is negotiation and it’s a skill anyone can learn. Just follow these seven simple steps to do it yourself. Remember when you negotiate, you’re not only reducing the amount you pay individual credit card companies each month. You’re also lowering your total debt by 50 to 80 percent.
Once you start negotiating with creditors you’ll find that settlement amounts will vary. Some may offer as low as 30% and others up to 50%. Some will even forgive most of the amount you owe. Try it and in about six months you’ll be off to a fresh start.
Here are seven debt settlement and creditor negotiation steps you can do yourself:
1) First you need to accumulate a sizable amount of unmanageable debt, which you’ve probably already done since you’re thinking about settling.
2) Next you have to determine that debt settlement is your best option.
3) Once you make that determination, stop making your monthly payments.
4) Take the money you would have spent making those payments and put it into a savings account. Or if you can, try to get a loan with a low or zero percent interest rate from family or friends.
Debt Aid Processing at the TASC 2010 Conference, Charting the Course through change
Debt Aid Processing will be at the TASC (The Association of Settlement Companies) 2010 Conference on March 14 to 16, 2010 (Sunday to Tuesday) at The Venetian, Las Vegas.
After a debt settlementcompany has negotiated a reduced debt balance on behalf of their client, it is the client’s responsibility to report the amount of debt removed to the IRS. According to IRS Publication Form 982, any amount of removed debt above $600.00 must be reported as taxable income. This means that the creditor whom the debt was owed to has to provide the debtor with a 1099-C tax form which clearly states the amount of removed debt.
In this economy, many people find themselves facing difficult financial situations.  Certain circumstances such as unexpected medical bills, credit card bills, and divorces can surely present further challenges. When the burden of debt becomes overwhelming, many believe filing bankruptcy is their only option. Bankruptcy can be broken up into two categories:
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy- In this type, the debtor proposes a plan to repay creditors over a three to five year period during which the debtor can make up overdue payments on any assets and pay into the plan the equivalent value of any assets not covered by exemptions. Exemptions refer to properties that the law allows for the debtor to keep. The debtor will then make regular payments to creditors through a trustee and will not be discharged of the debt until the payments are complete. The debtor is, however, protected from wage garnishments, lawsuits, and other creditor action while making the payments.
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy-This type requires the collection of the debtor’s assets by a trustee who then distributes the cash obtained from those properties to creditors. In order for creditors to receive any money from the assets, they need to file a claim with the bankruptcy court which will deem their claim justified as it sees fit.
There are a lot of companies out there who entice those with a significant amount of debt with hope for a way out. Although their purpose and method may seem confusingly similar, they are in fact very different and their distinction must be noted. One type of relief designed to help those in debt is what is known as debt consolidation where borrowers are offered one big loan to pay off their small debts.
Debt Aid Processing does not assume or pay any debt, nor does it give legal advice, offer credit repair, or help stop creditor & collector calls. Individual results may vary and are dependent on successful completion of program and ability to save funds.
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