Not all unpaid debts will wind up in court. Some lenders and debt buyers use collection law firms a ton, while others use them sparingly, and others still, not at all. What could happen: When your account lands with a law office for collection, it typically means they are willing…

Hearing from a collection agency will typically mean you have fallen behind enough on a bill for your creditor or service provider (utility bill, medical debt) to have given up trying to get you to pay.When it comes to credit card bills, you can start hearing from collection agencies after…

On average, your interests rates for both credit cards and bank loans will be reduced down to 6% with a DMP, which means lower monthly payments for you. DMPs have a payoff time of 60 months or less. This can shave 15 or more years off of a person’s credit…

The nonprofit credit counseling agency that will implement your DMP charges a nominal monthly fee to administer your plan, remit payments to creditors, etc.

Debt management plans are estimated between 1.7 and 2.5 percent of your enrolled debt (the accounts accepted into the plan). If you enroll $30k in a DMP, your new monthly payment will be between $510 and $750. You need to contact an accredited DMP provider in your state to get…

Debt management usually involves working with a credit counseling agency that seeks to lower interest rates on your existing loans and credit card debts. Debt consolidation, on the other hand, usually means taking out a large loan from a creditor to cover the balance of all your existing loans and…

You can apply for car loans, student loans and mortgages while in a DMP, and certainly after. It is often best to wait until you complete your DMP before applying for new credit cards and unsecured loans.

Nothing negative should appear on your credit report during this time. Your report should show that you’re making your payments on time. Some of the accounts may show you are enrolled in a DMP.

Your credit score shouldn’t be impacted during or after a DMP. Your utilization should come down which can help your credit score. However, because your accounts in the plan typically get closed, you will lose some “account type” diversity, which can be replaced later.

There should be no meaningful impact if you have maintained on-time, minimum payments. If you already made late payments prior to the DMP, the credit damage has already happened.

A DMP requires somewhat consistent monthly payments. If you miss a few payments, your plan could end and your debts would go back to the original interest rates.Accounts enrolled in the plan will be closed. This means that when the DMP is over, while the debt is paid and your…

On average, your interests rates for both credit cards and bank loans will be reduced down to 6%, which means lower monthly payments.They may make it more affordable and have a fixed pay off time of 60 months or less.You won’t have to deal with collectors.If you make your agreed-upon…

No, a credit counseling agency will need to do this for you; however, some creditors may offer hardship plans to you directly. If you decide that a DMP is the right option for you, you’ll need to contact a licensed credit counseling agency in your state. Both the National Foundation for…

These plans are highly regulated, so fees vary by state. Typically, a nominal fee is built in to your monthly payment that will always be between 1.7 and 2.5 percent of your total balances enrolled. Most states cap fees between $50 and $75, and a certain percentage of people enrolled…

Debt management plans typically last 36 to 60 months but cannot exceed 60 months of repayments. You can finish them faster by paying extra when you have more to give, but you won’t be able to extend the plan beyond five years.

In order to begin a DMP, you will need to reach out to a credit counseling agency licensed in your state. The agency will work to reduce the interest rates you are currently paying so you can bring down more of the principle. However, you will need steady income, because…

A debt management plan (also known as a DMP) is a sponsored repayment plan where you work with a nonprofit credit counseling agency to pay back your existing debts. The plan puts all your qualified debts into a single payment, reduces interest rates and often eliminates fees. These plans typically…

We can connect you with licensed professionals in your state that will give you a no-cost initial consult. We can also help you understand what Bankruptcy would do or mean for your financial circumstances.

You can apply for credit cards, loans and car loans right after discharging debts in Chapter 7 bankruptcy. However, the rates may not be ideal. You can apply for a mortgage 2-3 years after discharging as well. Please keep in mind that Chapter 13 is a much longer process than…

If you are still paying on your car loan, you can reconfirm the loan in Chapter 7 and continue to drive, and eventually own your car with regular payments. You could also use the Chapter 7 process to shed your loan obligation on an underwater car loan. If you own…

How much of your home equity is protected in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is determined by the state you live in. A limited number of states protect the entire value of your home, while others protect very little. If you do meet your state’s homestead/equity exemptions, you would continue to…

A bankruptcy remark will show on your credit report for 10 years after filing Chapter 7. However, you can take steps to rebuild your credit immediately. A bankruptcy remark will show on your credit report for 7 years after filing Chapter 13. Because Chapter 13 takes up to five years…

There is no “during” period when filing Chapter 7 because it’s over so quickly. As for Chapter 13, you’re unfortunately in credit purgatory until your payments are complete. This can take up to five years, so there won’t be any updates to your credit report until you’re done with all…

After a Chapter 7 discharge, you can start rebuilding credit immediately. Given that a Chapter 13 bankruptcy can take up to five years, there likely won’t be any meaningful credit rebuilding opportunities until it’s complete. 

There is a period of time where it impacts your credit and may impact your immediate financial goals.History shows the majority of people who file Chapter 13 Bankruptcy risk not completing it, and therefore waste money and time on a solution that did not work.It’s public. This doesn’t impact most…

Despite the prevailing stigma surrounding bankruptcy, hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. file for bankruptcy protection every year. For many, debt relief under court protection can be the tool they need to get their financial lives back on track. Here are the four main benefits of bankruptcy, and…

It is possible to file bankruptcy for both Chapter 7 and 13 without a bankruptcy attorney but we don’t recommend it. Working with a professional is advised since this is a legal process.

The average national cost for Chapter 7 is around $1,800, but this will vary by your location.Chapter 13 varies, but expect to pay $3,000 or more.

Chapter 7 is typically over in 90 days.Chapter 13 Bankruptcy plans run for 3 or 5 years. The vast majority of them are set for 5 years of repayments.

The two most common types of bankruptcy filings are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. In most cases, you’ll want to reach out to a bankruptcy attorney near you and schedule a consultation; most of them do this for free (so if they want to charge you, find a new attorney).…

Depending on the type of filing, bankruptcy is an opportunity for a consumer to gain protection from creditors using the courts, discharge unsecured debts entirely, or enter into an organized repayment plan. There are different types of bankruptcy filings and pros and cons within each option. Chapter 7 and Chapter 13…

We can help you understand if a debt management plan (also known as a DMP) is a good option for you and answer any questions you have. If you’re ready to start a DMP, we’ll match you with a trusted credit counselor in the Resolve Network.

The Resolve Network is a group of people and companies dedicated to helping people in distress. We’ve screened and vetted all of the providers in the Network. They share our values and have pledged to always do what is right for the members of Resolve. They do charge for their…

We’ve pulled together some of the best debt coaches, debt settlement negotiators, credit counselors and attorneys. They can help you with debt settlement, bankruptcy, debt defense, debt management plans … and just about anything related to your debt.

It sure is. We use bank-level 256-bit SSL encryption on our website and our databases are all encrypted. Our servers are hosted securely on Amazon Web Services (AWS), a secure hosting service trusted by the Department of Defense and NASA.

We’re so happy to hear that we can help you on your path to getting out of debt. If you haven’t started a Resolve account already, click here to get started.

This is a hard question to answer, but an important question to ask. Since starting Resolve in 2017, tens of thousands of people have used the platform. We’ve provided guidance on over $1.5 billion of distressed debt. We were selected as a 2018 Winner in the Center for Financial Services…

You can apply for credit cards, loans, car loans, and mortgages right after your last settlement payment is made.

Remarks of 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 days late, followed by a charge-off will appear. Additional trade lines could be reported later on by debt collectors and debt buyers.Once paid, it will show as a paid collection, but you can still accomplish your future credit and finance goals even with paid collections…

Credit scores typically don’t improve during settlements, but can improve rapidly after! Some people see a much more elastic bounce back soon after their last settlement payment, whereas for some people it can take a few years to see healthy credit score improvements.

Your creditors won’t settle with you unless you are late with payments. On-time payment history is roughly 30% of how your credit score is factored. This has a major impact on your credit score. If you’re already late with payments, your credit is already impaired. Settling the account can then…

Not everyone will owe tax on their settlements.If you have a debt that is settled for less than the original balance, and the difference (the forgiven portion of the debt) is greater than $600.00, this would then need to be reported as income. In this case, you should receive a…

You’ll likely pay less and get out of debt faster, which is both a drawback and a benefit. If you’ve already missed payments with your creditor, and are in collections, settling will eventually help your credit.It can improve your financial situation.It can help you avoid being sued if you’re already…

You’ve fallen behind on payments and the debt is “old enough” to be considered for a settlement plan (usually 5 or more months delinquent).You must be in a position to accept the terms or the amount of the settlement (have enough savings or resources to commit to a settlement in…

The timing can vary depending on who you’re working with. Creditors typically are willing to settle when you’ve become late enough to trigger the accepted protocol for loss mitigation. This is typically when you’re at least 90 days delinquent or more.

It is an accepted business practice for creditors to take less than the balance owed, because they are unlikely to collect on the vast number of accounts that are more than 90 days late. For more information, you can watch this video: 

Debt settlements do not have a set time of completion. You could have a single account you are already late enough on, and settle it in one day. Settlements typically take as long as it takes you to pull money together to fund the deals. But try not to take…

Creditors will base the settlements that they agree to on: How delinquent your account is How long you’ve had the accountHow collectible you look on paper (in other words, how you appear to be managing your other debts)

Debt settlement is a negotiation between you (or your representative) and your creditor (or their representative, such as a collection agency or collection lawyer) to pay a lesser amount than your current balances.

Debt settlement is the process of paying off your debts for an amount less than you owe. For example, a person with a Chase credit card with a $10,000 balance might only be able to pay $4,000 to close and “settle” the account and have the remaining $6,000 forgiven. You…