Debt Settlement & How It Can Save You Thousands On Credit Card Bills
By Brian Dolezal
Debt settlement, also known as debt negotiation, is a method used to permanently eliminate certain types of debt. Often reserved as a last attempt to collect a debt prior to writing it off as uncollectible, creditors are sometimes willing to accept a reduced financial settlement in order to fully satisfy a debt.

Currently, there are a number of non-profit organizations who are designed to offer debt negotiation services on behalf of debtors. Debt settlement companies, as they are often called, will contact each creditor and attempt to negotiate a settlement that reflects a fraction of the actual account balance. Depending on your available funds, a debt negotiation may require a lump sum payment or a structured payment program. For instance, you may owe a creditor $7,000.00 and have fallen terribly behind with monthly payments. A successful debt negotiation may result in a settlement of 20% or more of the total balance payable as either a lump sum or structured payments over a specified number of months.

Depending on the amount of the forgiven debt, which is calculated by subtracting the settlement amount from the original account balance, you may receive an IRS income voucher from the creditor. This means that, in some cases, you may be required to pay taxes on the forgiven debt.

One of the most common questions that individuals have regarding a debt settlement program is how their credit report will be affected. Many will say that debt settlement is damaging to a credit score;

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