Dear Liz: Lots of “credit card remedies” are being marketed now. Is debt settlement a reasonable way to reduce debt? I have a good track record of payments and good credit scores (my median FICO score is 745). I’m concerned I’ll damage my creditworthiness for years to come.
Answer: Debt settlement means you’re paying less than you owe — and creditors really don’t like that. Debt settlement can trash your credit, which is why it isn’t a good option if you can find other ways of dealing with your debt.
If your interest rates are relatively low and you can easily make your minimum payments, your best bet is to simply pay off the debt on your own, throwing as much money as possible at your highest-rate card while paying the minimums on your other debt. Once your highest-rate debt has been retired, you can apply that payment to your next highest-rate debt, and so on until you’re debt free.
Or you can transfer your debts to a fixed-rate personal loan and pay that off over time. Many credit unions offer three-year personal loans at rates of 10% to 15% to people with good credit.
If you’re struggling to make your minimum payments, you should arrange two appointments: one with a legitimate credit counselor (you can get referrals from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at www.nfcc.org) and another with a bankruptcy attorney.
The credit counselor may be able to put you on a debt management program to pay off your debt at lower interest rates. Credit counseling is a neutral factor in credit scoring formulas — neither helping nor hurting — but your creditors may report you as late, which could hurt your scores.
Bankruptcy would really trash your scores, driving them down into the 500s. But it could wipe out your debt and give you a fresh start if you aren’t able to pay your bills.
What you want to avoid, if possible, is raiding retirement funds or home equity to pay credit card debt, particularly if bankruptcy may be an option. Retirement funds are protected in Bankruptcy Court and so, in many cases, is home equity.
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