When You Get A Letter From A Creditor.

By Rachael Schimer

Sometimes in life, whether or not you know of your finance problem, you may have to hear from a creditor. Don't panic! This isn't the end of the world. Even though it may seem like a disaster, you'll recover in time from any amount of debt. Thus the first step is: don't panic. At this point, it's time to step back and remember that you have many rights, as a citizen and as a person in debt.

These rights are the first things that you have to know. For example, after nine in the evening, a creditor is not allowed to contact you. If you're getting harassed late into the night, call a lawyer. Another right that you should employ is that creditors must give you a written notice of your debts as well as proof that you made the debts. You should always request these to verify the authenticity of your caller.

Next you need to consider your options for a bankruptcy alternative. There are many options to choose from and you should carefully consider them all before acting. I'll describe some of them to you in the rest of the article. If you're feeling vulnerable, beware, there are many people trying to take advantage of you in this state, so you need to keep your guard up to avoid certain scams.

At this point, it may seem like too little too late, but you should look into debt management strategies. It may be entirely possible for you to rebudget your income, and pay down your debt over time without drastic measures which are almost always detrimental to your credit. You should contact your bank for some strategies for determining a budget.

You might also consider working with your creditors to set up a debt payment plan. If you refuse to take part in this process, your creditors may come up with their own plan, in which your wages are garnished. In general, you should always be willing to talk to, and work with these people. If you legally borrowed the money, they have the upper hand.

If you really cannot manage your debt, then you'll have to seek debt relief. This is also known as debt settlement. When choosing this option, you should know that this looks as bad as a bankruptcy on your credit report, so it may not be your best long-term option.

If you've made it this far, then you're probably going to be okay. What you really have to do now is be patient, own up to your debts, and wait it out. You'll make it through this. Even if you have to declare bankruptcy, it's not the worst thing in the world, and it will be off your record in a few years. - 31377

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