Getting out of debt
is hard enough but after Christmas it can be even more stressful with the extra
expenses to have a good Christmas. Debt relief after Christmas could be in the
form of credit counseling, a debt management
plan, debt consolidation, debt settlement, or a second
mortgage loan to pay off all of 2009 debts, and the option to refinance a
mortgage for lower payments to have more money to pay other debts. These are
just a few suggestions for getting out of debts that are out of control.
If these are not the
debt relief options you desire, try selling something or getting a second job to
have money for debts. Debts must be paid or settled for a lower pay off.
Consider getting a debt relief quote for a professional debt company. There are
some great Legit
Debt
Relief companies available online.
Debt,
Phone Calls From Scam Debt Collectors:
Never
be too quick to answer questions from a stranger on the other end of the phone.
Any time a call is received from an unpleasant, so called, debt collector, hang
up. For those phone calls that are not harassing, the best course of action is
to listen first and then investigate the source of the call. Sometimes it is
just a scammer who is trying to collect money from a person, who may not even
owe money. Be sure to ask a few questions, and make sure you know you really owe
the debt that is being discussed. In some cases, the debt may be owed by another
person with the same name.
Do
not let the voice on the other end get the best of you, you can always hang up
the phone. A legitimate debt collector will not only ask some questions, but
they should be ready to answer a few for you too. Never, never give out any
sensitive data or account information to a person on the phone. Do not even
agree with any account information they want to confirm with you. If they are
for real, they will have all the right information already. Be sure to ask them
their company name, address, and phone number.
Make
the caller tell you what the debt
is for and ask for details about what is owed. They should be able to tell you
to whom the debt is owed, the account information, the amount of the debt, dates
of service, and a phone number and address of where the debt was made. If they
can not do this, end the conversation. Scammers may say that information has
been mailed, or they do not have to answer your questions. They may work hard to
make the listener uncomfortable or feel threatened in their effort to get money.
Don't give them your credit card number, social security number, or other
sensitive data. This should be a warning sign something is wrong.
Real
collectors must send a written confirmation within five days of calling a person
about a bill. Many times they will send a letter before they make phone contact.
Mistakes happen all the time, even if the person on the phone is a real
collector, make sure you are the one who owes the debt. If it appears that it is
a fake debt collector, report the incident to the police, your state attorney's
office, and the Federal Trade Commission. Scammers work hard to intimidate
people to get valuable information and money, don't become their next victim.
