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Debt Settlement Help

Michael Agruss

Written and Reviewed by Michael Agruss

  • Managing Partner and Personal Injury Lawyer at Mike Agruss Law.
  • Over 20 years of experience in Personal Injury.
  • Over 8000+ consumer rights cases settled.
  • Graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law: Juris Doctor, 2004.

Debt settlement is an approach to debt reduction in which the debtor and creditor agree on a reduced balance that will be considered payment in full.  Debt settlement is the process of negotiating with creditors to reduce overall debts in exchange for a lump-sum payment.  A successful settlement occurs when the creditor agrees to forgive a percentage of the total amount due.  Normally, only unsecured debts, not secured by real assets like homes or autos, can be settled.  Unsecured debts include medical bills and credit card debts – not student loans, auto financing, or mortgages.  For the debtor, this makes obvious sense, they avoid the stigma and intrusive court-mandated controls of bankruptcy while still lowering, sometimes by more than 50%, their debt balances.  While, for the creditor, they regain trust that the borrower intends to pay back the debt instead of filing for bankruptcy.Negotiating with a collection agency is somewhat similar to negotiating with a credit card company or other original creditor.  However, many collection agencies will agree to take less of the owed amount than the original creditor, because the junk debt buyer has purchased the debt for a fraction of the original balance.  As a part of the settlement, the consumer should request that the account be removed from the credit report.  With the current economic crisis, more and more credit card companies may be willing to settle existing credit card debts rather than add to their already large written-off bad debt.Debt settlement and debt collection harassment cases often times go hand-in-hand. That is, instead of our clients receiving money damages in debt collection harassment cases, the debt collector will wipe out the debt and clear up the client’s credit report.  Therefore, although the law does not provide for substantial monetary recovery for the consumers in debt collection harassment cases, obtaining debt relief for our clients is sometimes an option.  Recently, my clients have received debt relief in debt collection harassment cases in the amount of $2,500.00, $7,500.00, and over $20,000.00.  Debt relief is the unwritten type of damages in debt collection harassment cases.  Consumers should keep this potential type of benefit in mind when considering whether or not to pursue a case.

Mike Agruss Law can Help You with Debt Settlement

If you need help with debt settlement and want an experienced negotiator to attempt settle your debt at a reduced amount, contact Mike Agruss Law.  Mike Agruss Law, has built relationships with credit card companies and collection agencies and can often times come to a settlement agreement quicker and at a more favorable rate than a debtor acting on their own.  Mike Agruss Law, has helped countless consumers receive debt reliefand/or debt reduction.  Contact Mike Agruss Law, to see if debt relief and/or debt reduction is an option for you.

Submitted Comments

Larry
7 years ago
Is your firm familiar with North Star Services? They are wanting to settle one of my wife's private student loan with Sallie Mae. The original loan was for $10,500 dollars in 2005. North Star is indicating the balance is 18,800 dollars. I am going to assume that must be interest on top of the loan. North Star indicated they could settle the loan for 8,772. I am assuming North Star bought the loan for pennies on the dollar and could settle the loan for much less, for example 20% of the amount. I just need some advise on what direction I should approach this. I have spoke with the supervisor and communicating back and forth on a settlement with him, I think the debt could be settle for much less then what they are selling. I did some research and learned companies like this buy the loans for pennies on the dollars. 8,772 would be a huge profit for the collection company and a big loss for me. Another thing you might want to tell the attorney is that she filed CH7 in 2009 and this is a private loan and not government. The collection company is very much aware of the CH7 and indicating that doesn't matter!

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