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Debt Settlement means that your principle balance of debt is negotiated down to a lesser amount. Settlement can be one of the most attractive options available to you if you have more debt than you can pay off in a 2 – 3 year time frame, or if you are unable to make the minimum monthly payments due to financial hardship. With a debt settlement program, MLG will negotiate on your behalf in order to lower your principle balance. In most cases, you can also lower your monthly payments due to the lower principle balance.
It’s not surprising that the idea of paying less than what you owe to creditors can sound too good to be true. Chances are you’ve seen advertisements for debt settlement and wondered if there was any legitimacy to the claims. Debt settlement is absolutely a viable option for people who have hit financial hardship. If you are unable to make monthly payments to your creditors due to true financial hardship, more often than not they are willing to negotiate a lower principle balance to retrieve some of what you owe as opposed to nothing. This is why paying less than what you owe is a reality for many Americans who are struggling to pay off their debt.
At first glance, settling your debt sounds like an extremely complicated process and can be a little intimidating to tackle on your own. After enrolling in a debt settlement program, the company or firm will take on the burden of dealing with harassing creditors and serve on your behalf to negotiate the lowest possible payoff amount to the creditor. MLG will help you pick out a customized program that fits your needs, and will set you on a path to lower monthly payments and becoming debt free in as little as 12-36 months.
During the debt settlement process, there is a chance that creditors will attempt to contact you about payment. There are several options to help alleviate the calls from creditors including call forwarding options and education on FDCPA rules. It is extremely important to know your rights as they will protect you from harassment and MLG will empower you to take control. With this in mind, most creditors will respect the fact that you are being represented by a third party and will start communicating with the third party upon realizing that you have enrolled into a program.
Settling your own debt is possible, but could be problematic without representation of a company or law firm with experience dealing with creditors who could put obstacles in your way. Here are some of the benefits using MLG to help you settle your debt:
- Experience dealing with these issues. With a law firm you receive full legal representation of the law firm throughout the entire process
- Avoid paying a high lump sum that creditors will often require when you settle on your own
- Full protection from MLG in the event creditors decide to sue you
- More time to save money in a special purpose account (SPAA) during the settlement process
There are many factors that are taken into consideration when determining if you are qualified for debt settlement. All of our well-trained Debt Analysts can go over your options in detail. Generally speaking, the qualifications are as follows:
- You have more than $10,000 in debt
- You currently can’t afford to pay more than the minimum monthly payment
- You anticipate not being able to afford minimum monthly payments due to unexpected financial hardships including but not limited to divorce, unemployment, and medical debt
- Credit Card Debt
- Unsecured Loans
- Vehicle Repossessions
- Collections
- Medical Debt
- Business Debt
We customized our payment plans to fit the varying needs of every client. Once you’ve been successfully enrolled, MLG programs can vary from as little as 12-36 months, depending on what you what type of program you are in.
There are many benefits of debt settlement, but the reality is that settling your debt will negatively affect your credit. However, in many cases this is still a better option than Credit Card Counseling or Bankruptcy. Bankruptcy may affect your credit score for 7-10 years, and credit card counseling programs can last up to 5-7 years with you paying back 100% of your principle balance. With debt settlement, you can potentially resolve your debt in less than 3 years and pay a less than your principle balance.
- Debt settlement (unlike bankruptcy) is a private negotiation with our legal team and your creditors. Bankruptcy is a public filing that is accessible to everyone including potential employers, current creditors, future creditors etc.
- Bankruptcy can stay on your credit report for the next 7-10 years
Although there are fraudulent companies posing as debt settlement companies, there are plenty of legitimate ones that can help you get out of debt. Mediator Law Group is an established law firm with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and is regulated by the State Bar. Our client’s results are our number one priority.
