subject: Debt Relief Programs - How the Bad Economy Allows Consumers to Negotiate Debts [print this page] Debt Relief Programs - How the Bad Economy Allows Consumers to Negotiate Debts
The bad state of the economy is an impediment for consumers to pay back their debt. Due to the high demand of money and also the inflation levels, the creditors were forced to increase interest rates for most type of loans. This had devastating effects on the consumers causing them to miss payments and so end up in deep debt. But in every dark cloud you can find a silver lining, with the bad state of the economy also came options for consumers to fix their financial problems and so help the economy get back to the original state. This is how the government is trying to shoot two birds with one tone, by reducing the debt of consumers, they are also encouraging further purchases and so open new job places and also increase productivity.
The creditors have also suffered from the bad state of the economy. A large number of their clients were forced to file for bankruptcy. In the case of unsecured loans, the creditors get nothing back when their clients use bankruptcy as a way to clear debt, this caused for a massive loss amongst credit card companies. The government is also trying to help these companies out by giving them stimulus money so that they can afford to reduce the debt of their clients without asking more from other clients. The circle seems to work quite nice now, and the creditors are very motivated to accept negotiations rather than letting you file for bankruptcy. You can take advantage of this fact and give them no other alternative. If you pay them regularly they will never accept to settle your debt because this way you will give them more from the high interest rates, but if you stop paying the minimum amount each month, they will soon be open for a deal.
The economy is starting to show improvements as more and more consumers start using debt relief options instead of bankruptcy. This allows for a better situation all around; the creditors get a part of their money back, the consumer isn't left with a damaged credit score and the economy wins from the increased money flow and purchase power of the citizens.
Debt settlement is a viable alternative to filing bankruptcy. Most consumers are able to eliminate at least 60% of their unsecured debt while avoiding many of the negative consequences with filing bankruptcy. If you are over $10k in unsecured debt you will be eligible for debt settlement.
