Is debt negotiation bad? Well, yes and no. It all depends on your situation and how you view the negatives (and positives) of debt negotiation.
First off, to answer your question is debt negotiation bad? You need view it as a last-resort measure. The truth of the matter is its one step away from declaring bankruptcy.
Educating yourself about the ins and outs of debt negotiation is a good first step. Please note that the term ‘debt negotiation’ is also known as debt ‘arbitration’ or ‘settlement’.
For starters, a lender has little motivation to arbitrate anything less than the full amount unless the person is two to three months behind in payment.
This is where negotiation and your question, “Is debt negotiation bad?” comes in. Debt negotiation is bad in that it means the complete destruction of your credit history.
Remember your lender gave you the money or property in good faith. He or she has every right to expect that the loan be repaid in full. Morally you should do everything that is within your power to pay your debt(s).
However, this is not always possible and despite how much you would like to repay the loan in full you just can’t – not now and not in the foreseeable future. This is where debt negotiation comes into play. It may be your only logical course of action.
And, in the case of an old debt that you’ve long since forgotten about, debt negotiation would be the best way of dealing with it. There’s no point in keeping a small blemish on report when a little negotiation can easily turn things around.
But if you find yourself overwhelmed with your current debt load, credit counselling should instead be your first action step. A credit counsellor will give you some tools and suggestions for reducing your payments.
Debt consolidation may be more appropriate. A credit counsellor will walk you through the debt consolidation process. In a nutshell, it means creating a whole new loan for a longer period of time. This would hopefully lower your payments enough so you can get back on track.
Please know however, that debt consolidation can be nothing more than a way of putting off the evitable. It really does little to correct the problem. That’s why many people come back to debt negotiation as a way of getting out of their financial problems and starting fresh start.
If you’re determined to pay of your debt(s) and turn over a new ‘financial’ leaf you may wish to contact your creditors yourself. By doing so, you may be able to negotiate a lower interest rate or a more realistic repayment plan. This is known as self arbitration.
So, is debt negotiation bad if you really need it? The bottom line answer is no. When your debt is very delinquent, negotiation is often in your best interest. If this is the case, now is the time to either consider self arbitration or seek out the help of a debt negotiation company.
Although a debt negotiation program will lower your credit score for as long a you’re in the program, you’ll also find that most debt negotiation companies require the creditor to make sure that the final credit report reflects the account is now paid in full. Therefore, once your account is settled you'll no longer have a negative report.
If you decide to self arbitrate, you’ll also want to have a written agreement with your lender or collector that makes note of the fact your settlement has been ‘paid as agreed’ or ‘satisfied in full’.
A number of debt negotiation companies also include a credit repair service as part of their debt negotiation program. This repair service removes any negative items caused by the program. Although it is part of the program there are fees associated with this service.
Is debt negotiation bad? Ultimately, you’re the best person to judge whether debt negotiation is right for you or if it’s in your best interest to consider another alternative such as debt consolidation.
Published by Ellie Gibb on October 29, 2006 10:30 AM
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