Clik here to view.
What To Do if You Find a Collection Account on Your Credit Report
A collection account is bad news for your credit score, and the damage can last for years. During that time, you may miss opportunities to save on interest rates and insurance premiums, see an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
6 Big Mistakes People Make When Settling Debt
If you can’t pay back a debt you may be able to settle it for less than what is owed. The goal in doing so is pretty straight forward — you want to get the creditor to accept a lower payment amount...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Debt Collectors May Not Be Able to Call You As Often Under New Rules
Debt collectors would face strict new limitations on how (and when) they contact consumers under a sweeping proposal announced Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Collectors would be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Does a Debt Collector Have to Give Me a Receipt?
You got the dreaded call from a debt collector, you’ve verified that you do actually owe the debt and you’re ready to pay. Now you need to make sure you have proof that you’ve settled the debt. “It is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Debt Collector Came After Me for $36 of Girl Scout Cookies
It doesn’t matter how much of a morning person you are: No one enjoys answering an unexpected knock on the door at 7 a.m., let alone from someone you don’t know. Now imagine the stranger is there to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Soon Can a Creditor Send My Account to a Debt Collector?
One of the worst things you can do to your credit is miss a bill payment, because of all the things that go into credit scores, payment history has the greatest impact. But missing payments on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Collection Account That Just Won’t Die
You didn’t pay a bill because you were unemployed. You moved and never received a medical bill because your mail forwarding didn’t quite work as planned. Or maybe you were just running short on cash...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The IRS Is Hiring Debt Collectors. Here’s What You Need to Know
The Internal Revenue Service will soon begin using private collection firms for some overdue federal tax debts, the department announced Monday. The new program, authorized under a federal law enacted...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Help! Someone Keeps Giving My Phone Number to Debt Collectors
Sometimes, your phone number gets associated with a loan you’ve never applied for. We can never be sure why it happens: Perhaps it was the debtor’s phone number before it was yours, or they invented...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Remedy: A Startup Trying to Solve Your Medical Bill Problems
With 1-in-5 working-age Americans reporting they had trouble paying their medical bills in the past year, according to a Kaiser/Times survey released in January, it’s no wonder some entrepreneurs want...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Can a Debt Collector Call Me During the Holidays?
Getting a call from a debt collector looking to recoup on an old debt you owe is never exactly pleasant, and it’s probably the last thing you want to deal with during the most wonderful time of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
1 in 4 Americans Feel Threatened When Contacted by a Debt Collector, Survey Says
More than a quarter (27%) of consumers who’ve interacted with debt collectors said they felt threatened by the most recent creditor or collector who contacted them, according to a new survey from the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
You May Be Able to Get Collection Accounts Off Your Credit Report Sooner Than...
While shopping for a home to buy, Ryan discovered through his credit monitoring service that a collection account had hit his credit reports. His credit score dropped, and he was worried it could...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Here’s Why You May Want to Talk to That Debt Collector Before Tax Season Ends
Here’s something your may not know: Tax season is like Christmas for debt collectors. In fact, as a past-president of a national debt collection company, I can tell you some agencies will collect as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
50 Things Anyone Dealing With a Debt Collector Should Know
Getting a debt collection call is never fun. Even in a best-case scenario — it’s your debt and you can pay — that outstanding account can cause a headache or two. And if the debt’s contentious, not...
View ArticleClik here to view.
6 Steps to Take If Your Debt Goes Into Collections
If you’ve fallen behind on your bills, there’s a good chance a debt collector may have contacted you or will be contacting you shortly. A debt collector works for a collection agency who bought a debt...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Debt Collection Is Going Digital. Here’s What it Means for Debtors
The next time you speak to a debt collector, you might find yourself negotiating with a computer. And you might actually prefer that. Consumers buy toothpaste and bread without talking to a person....
View ArticleClik here to view.
10 Things To Do If Your Debt Goes to Collections
For one reason or another, life has given you lemons, and you’re in serious debt. Now, it’s time to make lemonade. The best thing to do with facing collections is to do a little proactive, focused...
View ArticleClik here to view.
6 Ways a Debt Collector Could Be Breaking the Law
Article Updated July 25, 2018. A strong federal law, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, protects consumers against certain unfair collection practices. It applies only to outside, or third-party...
View ArticleClik here to view.
15 Things I Learned About Finance from Having a Chronic Illness
Chronic illnesses are on the rise in the United States. 133 million Americans – about 45% of the population live with at least one chronic illness. Not only that, but medical bills make up the...
View Article