Zombie Debt – How to Deal with them

What should you do when you get a collection call or letter for a debt you could swear that you don’t owe? Whether it’s an erroneous account that was removed during credit repair, something you’ve paid in full or a debt that’s been charged off, these phantom debts can come back to haunt you. Luckily, there are ways to send them back to the grave.

How Does Zombie Debt Happen?

When a consumer defaults on debt, the original debt owner can sell it to a collection agency. These agencies usually pay only pennies on the dollar. If they can collect anything at all, they can usually make a profit. And, if they fail to collect on the debt, they can just go ahead and sell it to someone else.

But, with all of these debts being shoveled from one collection agency to another, it can be hard for collectors to keep their records up to date. Some debts are resold even though they are past the statute of limitations. In other cases, the debt collector’s records will not reflect that a debt was canceled during bankruptcy. As a result, these debts can pop back up years after they have ceased to be your responsibility. They can lower your credit rating and get in the way of home purchase plans.

What Is the Best Way to Handle Zombie Debt?

If you get a collection call about a debt that you do not feel that you owe, do not discuss it over the phone. Get a mailing address for the collection company and then hang up the phone. Unscrupulous debt collectors can try to make you take responsibility for the debt, so, telephone conversations are not worth it.

Instead, write a letter requesting written verification of the debt. They must provide this within 30 days and are not permitted to pursue collection until they have verified what you owe. Do not pay a debt collector to stop harassment. This can be construed as admission that the debt is legitimate, and can lead to further harassment.

If they cannot prove that you are legally responsible for the debt, they are not entitled to collect. While there is no law against them contacting you in writing, you can safely ignore most contact. The exception is if they send a notice saying that you are being sued. In this case, you need to show up in court, if only to maintain that the debt is not yours.

How Can You Fight Back Against Bad Collection Agencies?

Check your credit report regularly to make sure that old or discharged debts have not been improperly reported. If a debt collector reports a debt to credit monitoring agencies or tries to sue you after the statute of limitations, that is a violation of federal law. Report them to the Attorney General in your state. You may be entitled to damages.

Always make it clear to debt collectors that you know your legal rights. They are less likely to pursue you if they know that you cannot be tricked into paying a debt that you do not owe.

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No credit, No problem! Chris & Nik talk about how to build a credit report from scratch.

“Is it true that you need to carry balances on credit cards?”

“What are some in-expensive ways to rebuild your credit?”

“How can someone build up their credit score in a short period of time to purchase a home?”

Chris Devin, host of Real Estate Talk Boston Radio and Vice President of Lending at Guaranteed Rate Mortgage asks Nik some great questions about how to build and then re-build credit from scratch.

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Secured Credit Cards

More compared to that, credit cards are one of the methods creditors take a peek at our credit report past with and also they can in fact make or crack our opportunities for a good finance, a house or a task. We turn to protected credit rating cards.

Protected credit cards are a fantastic alternative to routine bank card. Whether you have bad credit rating terribly requiring repair work, cannot obtain a charge card or are new to the credit history scene, a protected bank card can assist you re-build or establish your credit.

Exactly how does it function?

That quantity than operates as your credit history line. If you transferred $700 in your account, you could use your safeguarded credit history card to acquire items up to $700, absolutely nothing even more.

Some financial institutions provide to offer you much more credit rating as an incentive for being a good customer (i.e., you pay your expenses on time) or perhaps allow you to charge up to a certain percentage more than your deposit amount. You simply should pay a small rate of interest to pay for that kind of usage.

What’s the minimum down payment amount?

Depending upon the type of card you selected or on the banking establishment, the majority of protected bank card will certainly require a down payment starting at $300. There is no restriction to the amount of you wish to include later.

Just what to look for in a secured charge card.

Compared to unsecured cards, secured credit cards call for yearly charges as well as have greater rates. If you’re shopping around for a secured card, make certain to get one that has no application cost. You will have to pay an annual cost so select a safe card that does not request an excessively high charge.

Keep an eye out for secured credit card agreements that conceal charges or ridiculous add-ons that you don’t truly need. An instance is one where a charge card business will certainly authorize your safeguarded card application offered you register for a monthly insurance policy that sets you back $50.

Where can I obtain a protected bank card?

If it’s still component of their item line, not all banks offer safeguarded credit report cards yet you can still inspect out your regional banking establishments. You can also consult your credit unions considering that numerous of them provide these cards to members only.

Utilizing safe credit cards to build credit rating

While many banks target customers that have never ever had credit history just before as the primary individuals for safeguarded bank card, several consumers use safeguarded bank card to assist re-establish their credit report. To do this, consumers require just to utilize their secured cards and ensure that the costs earns money each month. By developing their integrity, the customer sets up good credit report.

The future of safeguarded bank card

Protected bank card are still the choice of several card owners, yet several are surrendering their safeguarded cards for unsecured cards. Unsecured cards do not need money security, which accounts partly for their attractiveness. A safe bank card is still a fantastic selection, particularly for folks who are still building credit report or for those and are trying to restore their own.

Additional compared to that, credit rating cards are one of the means financial institutions take a peek at our credit past history with as well as they could actually make or crack our opportunities for an excellent loan, a house or a work. Compared to unsecured cards, protected credit rating cards require yearly fees and also come with greater rates. While a lot of financial institutions target clients which have actually never ever had credit history before as the main individuals for safeguarded credit rating cards, several customers utilize safeguarded credit rating cards to help re-establish their credit history. Protected credit rating cards are still the choice of lots of card owners, yet several are offering up their safeguarded cards in exchange for unsecured cards. A secured credit rating card is still a fantastic selection, especially for people who are still constructing credit or for those who are attempting to reconstruct their own.

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Can settling a debt hurt my credit? – Debt Help

Credit Card Settlement
Settle your debt

Typically the biggest credit drop does not come from the settlement of your debt. It comes from the activity prior to the settlement of the debt. First of all, a lender is not going to be willing to forgive a portion of your debt to them unless they feel they might soon be included as a creditor in a bankruptcy and they run the risk of getting nothing. So typically the strategy before you try to settle your debts is to fall behind. This is never recommended UNLESS you truly are seeking a bankruptcy alternative or you truly have exhausted all other avenues for keeping the debt in good standings. When the debt falls behind that will cause the first drop to your score. While the debt is in default the creditor will start to add late payment records to your report. Remember, FICO uses payment history to calculate 35% of your credit score. The next thing that could hurt you is if the account is turned over to a third party collection agency. When this happens the creditor will close out the debt, mark it as “transferred to another lender” and then the collection agency will create a new trade line in their name. This will make futures creditors feel that there are more negative records then the actual scenario.

This is an extreme scenario and not usually the norm. Most people who are entertaining settling a debt have already fallen behind. They have taken the maximum impact to their score. Paying off the debt at this point and having a portion forgiven will not have a negative impact. At this point a consumer should try to save as much money as possible to bring their financial situation back in order. Remember, the creditor at that point has usually collected years of interest, fees and merchant fees. Also, your credit card company has probably sold the debt to the collection agency for ten cents on the dollar and the other 90 cents has been placed on their tax return as a loss. This allows them to reduce their taxable income expense.

Let’s sum things up. Settling a debt is a great idea. Save your money. But, only if you’re fallen behind or you are entertaining bankruptcy.

If your debt is up to date try and work on a payment plan at a reduced interest rate so you will not take a credit drop.

Feel free to contact our office for a FREE debt analysis. Credit Repair is serious business.

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BBB Review 6.18.13 – Reviews

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“I am very satisfied with the service I received from Key Credit Repair. My credit report history has been completely cleaned within 3 months. I had incorrect and old accounts information with the 3 main credit bureaus that needed to be reviewed or removed. The personal involvement of Nikitas Tsoukalis (the owner of this business, I assume) and all his team since the very beginning of the process has been essential for me to feel comfortable and put all my trust in this credit repair provider. That trust has been kept and even progressively improved along the process. I have always received good/relevant information, and experienced fast support/replies. This is a secure and very serious way to conduct businesses. I strongly recommend it. Thanks so much for your help!!!”

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More Tip on How To Fix Your Credit

Repair Your Credit rating By Adhering to These Simple tip

Bad credit rating does not take place overnight; it takes a while for the missed settlements to pile up. So when they do accumulate and also you’re left with a bad credit rating, it can take some time to sort everything out. Utilize this guidance to take care of your situation as well as make inroads right into the trouble.

A crucial suggestion to consider when functioning to mend your credit is to ensure that you just acquire choices that you REQUIRED. This is exceptionally vital because it is really simple to buy products that either make us feel comfy or far better concerning ourselves. If it will aid you reach your goal, re-evaluate your scenario and also ask yourself before every investment.

It is a bad idea to intimidate credit rating companies that you are attempting to negotiate with. You might be angry, however just make risks if you manage to back them up. Make certain to behave in a collective manner when you’re handling the debt collection agency and also creditors so you can negotiate with them.

You can evaluate your credit history guide for free of cost annually from the 3 credit agencies. Having the wrong information on your credit report can ruin your rating, or cause you to be rejected for a lending.

It is important to have 2 major credit card accounts open as well as reflected on your credit history guide. These accounts need to likewise have all the available credit history still on the cards. Having 2 significant charge card shows partnerships with Credit-card business, and as a result, without these relationships or with more than 2, you are considered a credit rating danger.

If you are struggling to make the repayments on your existing home loan, think about considering the option of funding modification. In a lot of cases a lender might have the ability to lower the interest rate that you had actually initially settled on. This process made use of to be just for houses that were in risk of repossession yet several lending institutions are now extending this solution to many others.

The better your credit report is the better prices you are getting from your insurance policy company. Pay your bills punctually each month and your credit score will increase. Decrease the amount of money that you owe on your charge account as well as it will increase even more and also your costs will decrease.

If you do not recognize why you have bad credit, there could be errors on your report. Get in touch with an expert who will be able to recognize these errors as well as officially fix your credit report record. Make certain to take action as soon as you believe a mistake on your record.

The globe provides little compassion for folks who have bad credit, that’s why it’s so essential that you take the necessary action to repair your credit report as soon as possible. Make use of the information you discovered right here to repair your credit score completely as well as get out of debt altogether.

An important pointer to think about when working to fix your credit is to be sure that you just get things that you NEED. It is a bad suggestion to threaten credit history companies that you are trying to function out a bargain with. You can access your credit history guide for totally free yearly from the three credit bureaus. It is crucial to have two major credit report card accounts open and also reflected on your credit record. Having 2 major credit rating cards shows relationships with Credit-card companies, and also consequently, without these relationships or with more compared to 2, you are watched as a credit report threat.