Monday, September 14, 2009

Debt Settlement Loans - Does Settling Debt Require a Loan? by Hector Milla

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Many people may be operating under the false assumption that you need to take out a loan in order to settle your debts. This is not the truth; debt settlement does not necessarily have anything whatsoever to do with taking out a loan.

Settlement Explained

If you have an outstanding credit card debt that you cannot afford to pay, you can either let the debt go to collections, take out a consolidation loan to pay off your credit accounts in one fell swoop, or you can negotiate a settlement with your credit card company.

Settlement is the process whereby the credit card company agrees to slash the amount you owe by up to 70%, usually in exchange for a lump sum payment that closes the account. While it is hard for some to believe that creditors would reduce the amount of money owed, the truth is that they would rather receive a lesser amount from you than to hand your account over to collections, where they would receive only pennies on every dollar owed.

The Confusion

The reason some people confuse settlement with a loan, is because people do sometimes take out a consolidation loan in order to pay off their settlements in lump sums. It can sometimes be difficult to come up with even a reduced settlement sum, especially when times are tough and money is tight.

While some people take out loans in order to complete the debt settlement process, others prefer to save up cash and pay their settlement amounts one at a time, in order to avoid the need to take out a loan. Either way, settlement is a completely different process than consolidation.

You do not need to take out a loan in order to negotiate a lower payout amount to close your credit card accounts. However, a loan can assist some people by giving them the finances with which to negotiate a settlement. Whatever option you choose, make sure that it fits in with your budget and helps you to take steps toward your goal of becoming financially stable.

By the way, by researching and comparing the best debt settlement services in the market, you will be able to determine the one that meets your specific financial situation. Nonetheless, it is advisable going with a trusted and reputable debt counselor before making any decision, this way you will save time through specialized advise coming from a seasoned debt advisor and money by getting better results in a shorter span of time.

Hector Milla runs the Best Debt Settlement Companies website - where you can see his best rated debt settlement service recommendation.

Visit for further information and read our full review of the best debt settlement company, plus articles and video training about how to get the most of your debt settlement process.

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