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Debt settlement is an option that people may consider when it becomes overwhelming to try and manage repayments. Usually, debt settlement involves a company negotiating with your credit card provider (or other creditors) and agreeing on a lump sum payment that you can make to clear the debt.
This repayment is typically worth less than the total amount that you owe and means you can deal with the debt in one go. However, companies that offer debt settlement options also charge you fees for this service.
So, if you want to tackle your debt without paying a company to help, let's take a look at some of your options.
If you're struggling with credit card debt, other debts or bills and are not sure what to do, you can get free and confidential advice from a professional financial counsellor by calling 1800 007 007 between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm, Monday to Friday.
This is a company that works on your behalf to help you settle outstanding debt. When you engage the services of a debt settlement company, the company will assess your financial situation and offer you some solutions that can help you repay your debts. Some options could include:
If you decide to use a debt settlement or debt solutions company, make sure you ask about fees first so that you can decide whether it's affordable for you.
Depending on the amount of debt and your circumstances, some of the other options you could consider include:
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I am drowning in CC debt. Having companies constantly contacting me. What can I do? I have read all about ‘offering’ to repay a percentage is this possible?
Hi Jay,
Thank you for reaching out to us.
You may settle your credit card debts in different ways which will depend on your financial capability. Kindly read on this page for options that you may take in settling your balances.
First option is that you may arrange a negotiation with your credit card company wherein you do not necessarily need to pay all your balance owing but both parties will reach a mutual agreement. You may refer to this page on how you can negotiate a suitable payment agreement.
Second will be applying for a Balance Transfer Credit Card that has a 0% Interest Rate so that you can focus on paying you debt other than having the interest adds up. Kindly look at this page for the list of Credit Card that you may apply for. Keep in mind that you may check first the eligibility requirements of the banks before acquiring it.
Last will be consolidating your debt with a Personal Loan which you may find at this page. You may apply for a loan with as low as 7.5% interest rate.
Moreover, you may read into this page for debt solutions that you may take to free yourself on your outstanding balances.
I hope this helps.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us again if you have additional questions.
Cheers,
Ash
Hi, We have 3 credit cards and about 18 months ago we contacted one of those dept help assist companies to deal on our behalf to claim financial hardship and so basically that was all good interest was frozen and we made minimal repayments, however not so long ago this dept help company has gone into receivership and we were stuck. I then contact the banks directly and we negotiated for another 6 months which is great. Basically in a few weeks we will have enough money pay them out however we were told that you can make them an offer to settle the debt and one of them have accepted around 20% off what is owing $13500 Now my question is what is recorded on the Credit File, will they listed at Default or as settled now sure where to call and ask.
Hello Molly!
Thanks for the inquiry! We know you’re working hard to get this all taken cared of. :)
Debt settlement companies may declare “paid”, “settled” or “paid as agreed” on your credit file, depending on their internal procedure and differentiation. We recommend that you consult with your settlement company to verify which one they put on the file of their customers who are paying less than the actual balance.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jonathan
If I have a credit card debt of $35k with a bank, but also have a property valued at $500k and a loan with them of $335k, can the bank do anything with the property I have if I stop paying the credit card off?
Hi Darren,
Thanks for your question.
Please check the product disclosure statement of your credit card, under the financial hardship section. It should state what the course of action is if your financial commitments can not be met.
In most cases, your debt is transferred to a debt collector, and new payment terms can be made.
Cheers,
Shirley