If you have student loans, or will soon, you’re in good company. Nearly 44 million Americans owe almost $1.6 trillion in combined student loan debt. Federal student loans make up the biggest portion of this outstanding student debt at more than 92%. If you have a federal student loan, here's what...
How to find the right debt management plan (DMP)
If you’re struggling with debt and looking for help managing it, meeting with a credit counselor might be a logical first step. Credit counselors can help you create a budget, find ways to reduce your debt or enroll you in a debt management plan (DMP). But before you enter into...
What happens when you default on a loan from Avant
Online lender Avant offers personal loans ranging from $2,000 to $35,000 at interest rates from roughly 9.95% to 35.99% APR, though rates and availability vary depending on the state you live in and your creditworthiness. Here's what happens when you default on a loan from Avant. While Avant posts positive customer...
What happens when you default on your SoFi debt?
SoFi is an online lender offering the largest personal loans available to consumers with good credit. With loans ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, SoFi offers both fixed and variable interest rates and loan terms of two to seven years. Sofi has an A- rating from the Better Business Bureau, with...
What happens when you default on your Prosper debt?
Prosper was founded in 2005 as the original peer-to-peer lender in the United States. It matches personal loan borrowers with lenders, also called investors. While others have since joined the marketplace and Lending Club is now the largest online provider for personal loans in the U.S., Prosper does a substantial...
What happens when you default on your Lending Club debt?
Lending Club, the largest online lender for personal loans in the United States, specializes in peer-to-peer lending. This means it reviews potential borrowers’ applications and, if approved, matches them with an investor or several investors who provide the funds at a fixed interest rate. Lending Club charges an origination fee...
Online lenders often collect debt differently than traditional banks. Here’s what to consider
It can be challenging to find the right loan for your financing needs. Comparing interest rates, fees and other loan terms and conditions between multiple lenders is time-consuming and sometimes confusing. If you’re like a lot of borrowers these days, you may be considering online lenders as well as traditional...
What’s my best option for consolidating debt?
If you’re struggling with high interest rates on credit cards and loans while barely making a dent in your debt each month, it may be time to consider debt consolidation. That’s a strategy where you roll multiple debts into one monthly payment at a lower interest rate to pay down...
Here’s how to keep medical bills from sending you into bankruptcy
Dealing with major health problems is stressful enough, but mounting medical bills can make that stress even worse. Here's how to keep those medical bills from sending you into bankruptcy. It’s hard to pin down exactly how many people file bankruptcy because of medical debt, in part because it’s usually...
7 questions to ask before filing for bankruptcy
If you’re in debt over your head, afraid of being sued and just want the collection calls to stop, you may be considering bankruptcy. Bankruptcy gives those with more debt than they can repay a chance at a fresh financial start. It stops court actions and Chapter 7 bankruptcy, specifically,...
Considering a debt consolidation loan? Here’s what to look for
If you’re barely keeping up with your monthly debt payments, or even starting to fall behind, you might be thinking about making a change. Paying less toward your debt each month probably sounds like a pretty good solution. That’s a possibility with a debt consolidation loan. This debt relief method...
Is ‘pay for delete’ finally going mainstream?
Historically, consumers have sometimes been harassed or even intimidated by debt collectors. However, federal guidance and actions against creditors in recent years has led many debt collectors to adopt more consumer-friendly approaches, including the fairly recent concept of “pay for delete.” Here's what it means and how to benefit from...
Afni: What you need to know
Afni is one of the largest contingency debt collection agencies in the U.S. and provides services to companies in the telecommunications, satellite and cable, healthcare, and insurance industries. While Afni s a member of ACA International, the association of credit and collection professionals that establishes professional standards for the industry,...
United Collection Bureau: What you need to know
United Collection Bureau (UCB) is one of the largest contingency collection agencies in the United States, providing services to clients in government, health care, utilities, communications, financial services and student loans. If you are receiving calls from UCB, here's what you need to know. UCB has been accredited with the...
Client Services, Inc.: What you need to know
Client Services, Inc. (CSI) is one of the largest contingency collection agencies in the United States. It provides collection services to banks, utility companies, municipalities, county governments, private educational institutions and medical providers, among others. Here's what you need to know if you're receiving communications from CSI. Who is CSI?...
Alltran: What you need to know
Alltran Financial, formerly United Recovery Services, is one of the largest collection agencies in the country. The company website states an objective of helping individuals and families by resolving their financial issues and helping clients collect for their services. Today, Alltran serves clients in health care, government, financial services, and...
Contingency debt collection agencies: All bark & no bite?
Contingency debt collection agencies work on behalf of creditors to get delinquent accounts paid. They may work for the original creditor, like your credit card issuer, or for a debt buyer that purchased the debt from the original creditor. Their objective is to get consumers to pay delinquent debt on...
Thinking about bankruptcy? These options may be better
Do you have knots in your stomach over your financial situation? Sleepless nights? Creditors calling? You need a plan to manage your debt. And if bankruptcy is on your mind, it’s time to do your homework and see if it’s the best solution for your financial woes. There are plenty...