From the category archives:

Collections

In the last post, we covered how to quickly clear credit card debt while maximizing your credit score throughout the process. Before I continue, I want to cover how to quickly clear debt that isn’t revolving debt like credit cards, in other words, mortgages, installment loans, student loans, etc.

Speaking strictly from a credit restoration perspective AND NOT A FINANCIAL PLANNING OR BUDGETING PERSPECTIVE, you do not want to pay off mortgages, installment loans or student loans earlier. The reason for this is from a credit restoration perspective, you want the loans to season as long as possible, which means, to report on time payments for the longest period possible. Paying them off early, is NOT good for your credit score regardless of what you may think. Credit cards yes, mortgages, installment loans and student loans, no. Having said that, we will address numerous techniques to eliminate these types of debt early while still maximizing your credit score.

For now, most of you want to know how to clear debt that is either positively reporting credit card debt or negatively reporting debt of any kind. So, let’s discuss how to quickly erase and clear debts that are negatively reporting. There are different strategies for each type of debt and different systems that must be followed depending on the type of bad debt you are dealing with.

So, let’s start with the easiest and most common forms of bad debt first and I will give you some clear debt solutions.

Collections & Charge-offs

    If you have a collection or charge-off, the initial response most people take to erase debt of this kind is absolutely the worst and most expensive method, and that is, they mistakenly pay them off. To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, “Big Mistake! HUGE!”.

    Why is that?

    Because paying them off only accomplishes paying them off.  The same goes for consumer debt settlement unless it is properly negotiated.  It doesn’t do anything positive for your credit report or score. And, paying them off refreshes the date of last activity so you get the added insult to injury of having a paid collection or charge-off on your credit report for an additional 7 years. Doesn’t sound like what you want, does it?

    What you want is to erase and clear debt of this kind and have it completely removed from your credit report, ideally, in the least expensive way possible. So, how do you do that?

    Simple.

    Collections and charge-offs can be completely eliminated using the following methods:

  • Debt Validation- for collection accounts with a collector
  • 6-2-3 Method- for charge-offs with the original lender
  • Pay For Delete- used as a last resort with either a collector or lender.
  • Perhaps my favorite method is the Debt Validation method because it truly puts the power of the law and legal system in YOUR hands to help you clear debt quickly and end the harassment from collectors. Using this method, we recently got a legitimate $16,000 collection account removed from a family member’s credit report. Doing this enabled her to immediately qualify for a mortgage and she closed June 1st. Know what we had to do to accomplish this? Send one simple letter. That’s it. Pretty powerful stuff, huh? If you want to watch the video and get the actual letter we used to do this, simply click on the following link: How To Clear Debt With The Debt Validation Method.The 6-2-3 Method is similar but must be used with the original lender. I like this method because with all of the recent takeovers, acquisitions and bad systems that most of these lenders have in place, most of the time they do not stay in compliance with the law. Understanding this and utilizing the 6-2-3 Method, you can force their hand and legally require them to remove the charge-off from your credit report AND cease all collection efforts for the balance owed (since they cannot legally prove that you owe the money). This is a very effective method and all it takes is knowing the law and one simple letter. In the Members Only side of Credit Repair College, you can access the law in the Law Library, access the letter in the Other Training Materials section and understand exactly what you need to do by watching the video in our Video Training section. To see what you get access to on the Members Only side, simply click here: Clear Debt FastThe Pay For Delete Method is the last resort if the aforementioned methods don’t work. Using this method, essentially you will negotiate with the collector or lender to pay off the collection or charge-off in exchange for complete deletion of the account from your credit report. This has to be done in a very systematic way and you MUST get the correct documentation BEFORE you pay off anything otherwise they will simply collect your money, not do anything, not remove the account from your credit report and you will have no recourse. This is a highly effective method to clear debt and remove derogatory credit but it requires a very specific method to accomplish successfully. We teach this method on how to clear debt fast on the Members Only side as well with actual recorded conversations with collection agencies so you can hear what you will deal with and know how to handle the situation properly.Next up in our series on how to quickly erase debt and clear debt fast: How To Make Quick Cash so you can avoid collection accounts and charge-offs and get out of revolving debt faster.  Stay tuned for more strategies on how to clear your debt!

No matter what your credit situation we can help you!  Remember, knowledge is power and on the inside of CreditRepairCollege, we will teach you everything you need to know about credit restoration!  Our curriculum includes: dealing with student loan default, insider secrets on getting poor credit auto loans, how to decide if Christian debt counseling is right for you, how to navigate consumer debt settlement and more!  Enroll now!

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Excessive medical bills are something that can be difficult to plan for.  The reality is that even if you have medical insurance a serious medical crisis can leave you with bills that are more than you can reasonably manage.

When faced with a pile of medical bills, you basically have four options.  You can work with the healthcare provider to pay them off over time, you can seek medical debt consolidation, you can attempt to negotiate your bills down (this works just like when you settle credit card debt), or you can file for a medical bankruptcy.  The first two options are much better choices than filing for bankruptcy.

Today we are going to look at medical debt consolidation.  When consolidating bills,  you will be going to a bank or other lender and taking out a loan which you will then use to pay off your medical bills.  Debt consolidation loans may be either a secured loan or an unsecured loan.  There are advantages to each option.

An unsecured loan will require that your credit score be good.  It can be very difficult to qualify for an unsecured loan, especially if you owe a lot of money.  Obviously the advantage to an unsecured loan is that you are not placing your property at risk.  The primary disadvantage is that most unsecured loans carry with them a high interest rate.

When you speak of secured debt consolidation, most often you are referring to a consolidation loan that utilizes that equity in your home. Obviously the primary down side to this option is that you are placing your home in jeopardy.    Additionally, mortgage loans for people with bad credit can be very hard to come by, although qualification will be easier than getting an unsecured loan.

One thing to keep in mind is that medical debt consolidation does not always save you money nor does it ensure that your monthly payments will go down.  Before you sign anything, it is critical that you understand the rate of interest you are currently paying versus what you will have to pay if you consolidate your debt.  Medical debt consolidation only makes sense if you are going to pay a lower interest rate or you are able to lower your monthly payment to the point that you are able to avoid bankruptcy.

Obviously there is no way to erase debt short of filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  However, medical debt consolidation can be a very good strategy depending on your individual situation.  You may seek the services of a medical debt consolidation company who can help you learn how to consolidate debt.

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Top 5 Ways To Quickly Erase Debt

July 18, 2010

Want to erase debt quickly? You aren’t alone. How to erase debt quickly is perhaps one of the questions we get asked more often than any other.  (Well, that and people want to know the strategies that I used to clean up my credit.)If you break credit restoration down to its most elemental components, it [...]

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Can You Settle Credit Card Debt On Your Own?

June 20, 2010

// < ![CDATA[ google_ad_client = "pub-1125771819473258"; /* 300x250, created 7/2/10 */ google_ad_slot = "8092098247"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; // ]]> Yes!  While many people prefer to hire a credit card debt settlement company to deal with the sticky aspects of consumer debt settlement, it is certainly possible to settle your own debts.  In [...]

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How Do I Clean Up My Credit?

An Actual Case Study For A Real Client- Part 3

February 25, 2010

In the prior post, I began responding to the questions asked by one of our readers at FinanceTheDream.com. The questions Candace asked were: 1. What happens to the credit score when debt validation letters and the pay for delete process is used? 2. When derogatory items are removed, does your credit score go up or [...]

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How Do I Clean Up My Credit?

An Actual Case Study For A Real Client- Part 2

February 25, 2010

In the prior post, I began responding to the questions asked by one of our readers at FinanceTheDream.com. The questions Candace asked were: 1.    What happens to the credit score when debt validation letters and the pay for delete process is used? 2.    When derogatory items are removed, does your credit score go up or [...]

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How Do I Clean Up My Credit?

An Actual Case Study For A Real Client

February 24, 2010

One of the things I love about our websites is the ability to interact with our clients, readers, subscribers and visitors and positively enrich their lives. The thing I hate is constantly seeing just how much misunderstanding there is of the very systems that so greatly impact people’s lives.  It is very rewarding to see [...]

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The Honest Truth About Credit Repair Companies (continued)

January 30, 2010

In the prior post, I asked my client exactly what DSI told her they would do for her to repair her credit for the fee of $487, to which she replied, “That they would dispute some charges and raise my credit score.”. And I replied to her: “Lovely………and, unfortunately, exactly what I told you. You [...]

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Credit Repair Scams: What to Watch Out For!

December 14, 2009

Image via CrunchBase Since the beginning of the current financial crisis and the credit crunch in 2007, many people have found themselves in need of significant credit repair. Those who were borrowing to service their debt – both companies and individuals – found their access to credit diminished, if not totally wiped removed, and consequently [...]

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Understanding Student Loan Default

October 29, 2009

As unemployment rises, more and more people are having trouble making ends meet. The government has many programs to help you prevent student loan default. If you are going through a difficult time, one of the best things you can do is communicated with your lender and try to create a solution before your loan [...]

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