If you’re contemplating debt settlement due to the fact that you’re finding it increasingly difficult to continue making monthly payments to your creditors, you’ll want to perform plenty of research to ensure that you’re hiring the right company to represent you.
One of the most important factors to consider prior to hiring a debt settlement company is how it is that they charge their fees. While the Federal Trade Commission recently implemented new laws to ensure that these types of companies do not charge up-front fees, it’s important to remember that there’s still the possibility for a debt settlement company to charge extremely large and unreasonable fees.
In order to avoid being charged ridiculous and excessive fees, you’ll want to find a company that charges its fees based on performance. In other words, this debt settlement company would charge you a percentage of the amount of money they save you, per each settlement reached with your creditors. These fees tend to range from 15% to 30% of savings; so, if a company negotiates a settlement with one of your creditors, for $3,500,00 on a $10,000.00 balance, the savings realized would be $6,500.00. Your fee would then be somewhere between $975.00 and $1,950.00, depending on the fees that are charged. Obviously, you’ll want to strongly consider a company that charges on the lower end of this scale; however, you’ll also want to be sure that you’re hiring a company that places a great deal of emphasis on customer service.
One very important reason to hire a company that charges its fees based on performance is due to the fact that these companies are very likely to work much more diligently to ensure that their clients are reaching and accepting the best possible settlement agreements with each of your creditors. If a company is going to charge you its fees based on your overall debt (i.e. 20% to 30% of your entire $50,000.00 debt), there’s a strong possibility that they will happily accept a 50% settlement on your behalf, without putting in the extra time and effort it may take to reduce that settlement agreement down to 35% or 40% of the account balance.
This also brings to mind that you’ll want to be certain that no settlement agreement will be accepted on your behalf, without your authorization. It’s extremely important that you, the consumer, are able to accept only those settlement agreements which you believe are fair and just. In order to do so, you’ll want to also be sure that you have total and complete control of your funds; in other words, if you’re setting funds aside on a monthly basis, please take the necessary steps to ensure that these funds are being placed in a savings or checking account of your choice, in your neighborhood.