Dispute Credit Report and Debt Settlement

Now we’re going to discuss another secret that will help you with improving your credit.  A recent customer named Linda was stuck in a cycle of debt That was killing her credit report. She fell behind for five months on her credit card payments, and even though she started paying again. She was still consistently showing as 150 days past due. Every payment Linda made dragged out the past due to balance, and she couldn’t afford to get ahead. Now it ‘s urgent for Linda to Eliminate old debt.

Linda was a victim of a perpetual cycle of debt, and extreme measures were needed to clear up her credit report. So she could live a normal life again. And no, I’m not talking about bankruptcy, which is the last resort.

How long negative information impacts your credit report

Information that negatively impacts your credit report only stays on your credit report for seven years and 180 days after the incident. This doesn’t include bankruptcy, which remains for 10 years.

The “incident” is considered as a late payment or charge off. It is required by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation that after 120 days of delinquency, installment loans like a mortgage or car loan should charged off . Credit cards and other revolving debt must charged off after 180 days of delinquency.

How to negotiate a debt settlement

Once your account is charged off, it’s sold to a debt collector for less than 20 percent of the total balance. This gives you leverage to negotiate a settlement as low as 30 percent of the total debt. This is a trick many credit counseling companies use to consolidate and lower your bill payments.

In Linda’s case, it was necessary to stop making payments that dragged the debt out longer. Instead, we negotiated a settlement. Keep in mind, settled accounts don’t help your credit score as much as paid-in-full accounts. But they don’t negatively impact it as much as unpaid debts.

If the creditor doesn’t accept a settlement then try to eliminate old debt with the debt collector. Even though they purchase the debt for pennies on the dollar, debt collectors still attempt to collect the full balance.

Debt collectors also continue charging interest and late fees on your unpaid debt. This increases the amount of the debt they can eventually sue you for. In most states, third-party collectors can continue adding interest for three to seven years, although sometimes it’s indefinite. This is why it’s important to settle all your debts as fast as possible.

Check your state laws to determine the statute of limitations in your specific circumstances. For example, in California, collectors have four years to legally collect.

Things to remember when negotiate a debt settlement or cancellation

When you negotiate a debt settlement or cancellation, you should be prepared to receive a 1099-C tax form for cancellation of debt. The IRS considers cancelled debt to be taxable income. You must report when you file your taxes.

If you’re being targeted by collectors, don’t worry. There are laws in place that dictate how collectors can pursue you for this debt.

Next, we’ll discuss one simple phrase that can give you peace of mind by ending all the harassing phone calls and letters from debt collectors. I also provide lot of information on ‘Optimize Your Debt Ratio in a unique way‘ that will help you to improve your credit score.

Now we’re going to discuss another secret that will help you with improving your credit. You should know the various excuses that are valid to dispute your debt and force your creditors to validate debt so that it can remove from your credit report. Feel free to skip ahead if you already know this.

A customer named Jill recently got divorced from her husband. She was distraught because debt collectors kept hounding her for debt her husband racked up before their divorce was finalized. Therefore, Jill was terrified of her ex-husband’s bad financial decisions would follow her for the rest of her life. However, there’s no reason for Jill to live in fear. Because after the divorce was finalized, Jil can Force Creditors to Validate Debt as she is no longer responsible for that.

While we like to think of banks as faceless monsters, they’re organizations filled with people just like me and you. Many of them will excuse late or missed payments under extraneous circumstances. Credit reporting agencies and even courts will accept these excuses too.

Here are the specific excuses Experian accepts to dispute debt as of August 2018:

– Payment never late
– Not mine or no knowledge of account
– Account paid in full
– Account closed
– Unauthorized charges
– Belongs to ex-spouse
– Balance incorrect
– Included in bankruptcy
– Belongs to the primary account holder
– Corporate account
– The balance of history inaccurate
– Belongs to another person with the same or similar name
– Identity theft

Like I mentioned before, documentation is the key to disputing your debt. Be sure to keep copies of payment receipts, court papers, and anything else that will prove that you don’t owe the money. Use the same letter which I already discuss and add whichever specific phrase applies to you and back it up with documentation.

Jill was able to prove the debts belonged to her ex-husband because she sent copies of her divorce paperwork to the creditors and credit agencies. Because Jill is no longer married to her deadbeat husband. Therefore she’s no longer responsible for his debt. Now she used the phrase “belongs to ex-spouse” and the debt removed from her credit report. So always force creditors to validate Debt.

That’s all it took to nearly double Jill’s credit report. And we don’t just divorce people. Sometimes we end relationships with our creditors too.

Why you force creditors to validate the Debt

If you no longer have a relationship with the company, you may force creditors to validate the Debt. You can do this through your credit report dispute. It’s also the successful defense that uses by many debtors in court during foreclosure, repossession, and collection hearings.

Robo-signing was an abusive practice that uncovered after the 2010 foreclosure crisis. Banks illegally falsified loan documents through a third party and used those documents to foreclose on people’s homes. It’s one of many secret practices that used by creditors to stick you with debts you don’t know they can fight it.

How to win against debt collectors in court

Using the law to your advantage can help you win against debt collectors in court. Here’s a secret you probably didn’t know. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act gives you 30 days from the first notice of debt from a company to dispute the validity of the debt. If the debt collector can not provide this validation, you can sue in federal or state court for $1000 in damages. In some states like Arizona, improper debt collection practices are also a criminal offence.

If you believe that your rights violated under the FDCPA, report the violation to the Federal Trade Commission. Their website walks you through the process. Don’t let anyone abuse you, financially or otherwise. Because You’re a strong, independent person who’s capable of amazing things.

And while we’re discussing the FDCPA and FTC, let’s review some of the rules regarding how long debts can stay on your credit report. (and after being charge off, how much they can  increase )

Story: Late Fee Lambada

There was one senior on a fixed income to whom we worked with, let’s call her Rose. She was in agony because she was trying to get a loan to help her daughter with a medical bill. Although she didn’t have much credit, she had a string of Store Credit Cards, from Macy’s to Sears that she kept up with regularly. As long as the coral shoes match that dress, right!

Her problem? A few late payments were devastating her score! Although the Postmark Prompt Payment Act never passed, Rose was able to pirouette around several late fees. Look, spaghetti arms.

“According to FICO data, a 30-day delinquency could cause as much as a 90- to 110-point drop on a FICO Score of 780 for a consumer who has never missed a payment on any credit account.” (Equifax blog 2014)

So, what did Rose do? She Asked! And they waived her late fees – even put it in writing. With her updated score Rose was able to get the loan she needs to help her daughter through a difficult time.

Tips: Just Ask. If for whatever reason you do make a late payment, call your Creditor and just ask for a “Waiver”. Surprisingly it works more times than not.

Jennifer, an authorized user on her fiancee account and forgot to make the payment ($37). Her score go down tremendously (100 + points),
Now her question: Is there anything that can help to get the score up?

Answer: Please Ask your credit card issuer or lender if they can forgive that late payment. Maybe you are out of the country on vacation and you had no idea the bill existed. Credit Card Company is pretty forgiving if you have a good record of making on-time payments.

More Information about late payment negotiation 

Here is an example for you. Susan middle age women, her husband told that he would no longer be able to work to medical issues. It is going to take months to get disability and in between the time, we will have very little income. We are not behind our bills yet, but next month we will not be able to make our minimum payments. So what should we do?

Answer: Call your creditors and explain the situation. Many issuers will help you work out an alternate payment plan or agree to waive a late fee or holding of reporting a 30-day delinquency to the credit bureaus.

Tips: If you miss the payment on accident, call your issuer to see if it will abstain from reporting it to the credit bureaus or save the late fee. Most credit card companies will agree on your request if your payment history is good enough.

So, if you really make a late payment recently. There is still a chance, you can remove it from your credit reports by Ask nicely for a goodwill adjustment or Negotiate to your creditor. Therefore, if you are not at fault, reports dispute the payment.

Now we’re going to discuss another secret that will help you with improving your credit. You should know how to deal with your old debt if you have any and  How to Eliminate your Old Debt.

If you don’t have an old debt then you can continue to our another secret how to stop harassing calls from the collectors or how to optimize your debt ratio to game the system.  Get excited, because your life is about to change!