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Never Respond to Unsolicited Debt Settlement Inquiries

Posted on: April 24th, 2012 by Editor in Banks, Debt Relief by Lawyer

In recent times it is not unusual for us to receive inquiries from consumers who are experiencing financial difficulties who tell us that they have previously been contacted by debt settlement companies. These companies are trying to sell their “services” to the consumers. These contacts by the debt settlement companies are completely unsolicited. The contact may be by letter, phone call, or e-mail.

The question of course is how did the debt settlement company know that the consumer was having financial difficulties, and how did they get the consumer’s contact information?

Who is contacting?
Although there is some debt settlement companies who engage in this illegal practice most likely the real culprit is a “front” group who solicits potential debt relief customers and then sells the “lead” to a debt settlement company. They typically charge the debt settlement company from $10.00 to $40.00 per “lead”. Most groups, be they debt settlement companies or front groups, by this practice is most likely in violation of the telemarketing rules as promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission.

Consequently, their actions are not only unethical, they are illegal.

Where do they get your information?
When it comes to getting a consumer’s financial information and their contact information both the debt settlement companies and the “front” groups are very resourceful. There are two places where they get most of their leads. First, they search public records such as court documents to locate people who have been sued by credit card companies. Second, they access individual credit reports.

We find that almost without exception those who tell us that they contracted for debt settlement services with someone who contacted them without solicitation experienced a very bad and costly outcome. They were victims of an all too common “scam”.

How do you avoid being a victim?
First, you should be outraged that a debt settlement company or a “front” group would be obtaining your personal financial information without your consent. When they make contact with you make it very clear that you are outraged by their actions and that you not only don’t want to talk to them, you may well file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Second, never contract with either of these entities to provide you debt settlement services.

Associated Attorneys, LLC does not attempt to access personal or financial information of anyone, nor does it ever make any unsolicited contact. More information can be obtained by contacting Associated Attorneys, LLC at 866-411-4693 (toll free).

Your State Law Directly Affects Your Debt Settlement

Posted on: March 27th, 2012 by Editor in Debt Relief by Lawyer, Debt Settlement

Whether or not to become involved in debt settlement in order to resolve and relieve your financial difficulties is one of the most important financial decisions a distressed consumer may have to make. The consumer must first decide if debt settlement is the appropriate remedy for them.

After this decision is made, they must decide who they are going to employ to accomplish this task.

One very important part of dealing and resolving credit card debt is to consider all aspects of your financial circumstances. The proper and correct approach to debt settlement is much more than just talking to credit card companies and trying to arrive at a settlement. Unfortunately, this is all that debt settlement companies do. They do not, and for that matter are not qualified, to make a comprehensive analysis of your financial situation and craft a debt settlement, debt reduction strategy that is most suited to your circumstances.

Debt settlement companies cannot give you legal advice. For them to do so is illegal.

They can’t tell you how the law in your particular state may impact your debt settlement process. They are not qualified to tell you for instance how not paying your credit card accounts may impact other parts of your financial life. They can’t tell you, for instance, whether or not your home might be at risk, whether or not you could lose your savings or retirement funds, whether or not wages and/or bank account might be subject to garnishment, etc. Even if they did attempt to give you this “legal advice” you would not want to rely on what they say. All aspects of debt settlement are controlled by state law. These are just a few of the issues that you should have sound legal advice prior to embarking on a program of debt settlement.

The statutes and case law in your state directly impacts not only your debt settlement, it affects other aspects of your financial circumstances. By far the best and safest approach for resolving your credit card and other unsecured debt is to make settlement decisions with the back drop of how the law in your states affects the process.

The only safe way to get your credit card debts settled is to rely on the services of a licensed attorney at law who is skilled in the practice of debt reduction and debt settlement. To get the best, most comprehensive debt settlement possible the attorney you employ must be knowledgeable regarding the consumer law of your state. The attorney must be licensed to practice law in the state wherein you reside.

Associated Attorneys, LLC can provide you with a highly experienced, skilled and qualified attorney to provide your debt settlement. The attorney not only knows how to best settle your accounts, he or she will do so with the knowledge of the law in your state.

For more information please contact Associated Attorneys, LLC at www.associatedattorneys.com or call toll free at 1-866-411-4693.

About the Author: Melvin R. Singleterry, former Judge and former elected District Attorney is a licensed, practicing attorney of many years who specializes in consumer debt law.

Debt Settlement Companies—A Bad Choice

Posted on: March 27th, 2012 by Editor in Debt Relief by Lawyer, Debt Settlement

Financial difficulties can befall almost anyone. Dealing with constant calls from bill collectors, receiving collection letters from creditors, and living with ever present fear that complete financial collapse is just around the corner is a way of life for far too many American consumers. A person in this situation usually experiences a since of hopeless and foreboding.

Although it is of no consolation to the person in this difficult situation, they are there by no fault of their own. Loss of a job, reduction of income, illness, medical expenses are among the most common reasons that people get into financial difficulties.

Financial problems not only affect the person in debt, it has a negative impact on others as well. Your ability to purchase health insurance, keep your home mortgage, set aside funds for retirement, provide for your children’s college education are just a few of the things that negatively affect those close to you.

Too many times a person under financial stress loses some of their ability to make rational decisions based on good judgment and reason. They do things that they would not have done had they not been in what appears to them to be a hopeless situation. They contact a debt settlement company. Unfortunately, they are subjectable to the “pitch” of dishonest and unscrupulous debt settlement companies. When this happens their bad financial circumstances only gets worse.

The representative for the debt settlement company will exaggerate and misrepresent what they can do. Among other things, they will tell you they can settle your outstanding credit card accounts for less than what can be done, that you will pay less than you will actually pay for their services, and that with them settling your accounts you will not get sued. They will lead you to believe that with their “help” your financial worries are over. Don’t fall for it!

Just as important as what the representatives or tell you are the things that they don’t tell you. Some of the things they will fail to tell you is that debt settlement can have a negative impact on your credit score, that there are usually federal tax consequences connected to debt reduction, and the settlement funds you send to them are likely to be forever beyond your ability to recapture.

Perhaps the most egregious misrepresentation that they make is to tell you that with them handling your accounts you will not get sued. If you ask them directly about this happening they will try to minimize the possibility. They may try to intimate that they have a “special” relationship with your creditors and because of this they will not file suit against you. They take this approach because they know that if you do get sued there is absolutely nothing they can do to help. They are not attorneys and can’t give you legal advice, file necessary legal documents, or appear in court on your behalf. You are on your on! It is your problem, not theirs. You either represent yourself or hire an attorney.

Don’t fall for their “pitch”. You can get the best credit card debt reduction and debt settlement available through an attorney at law that is skilled and qualified in handling consumer debt settlement. You never have to be concerned about the ability and integrity your attorney. Your attorney will settle your accounts for the least possible amounts. Since your attorney is licensed to practice law in your state, if you do get sued your attorney will give you legal advice, prepare and make all necessary court filings and represent you in court. All of these legal services will be provided you for no additional costs. You will find that being represented by an attorney at law in your debt settlement will most likely be at less cost to you than relying on a debt settlement company for help.

Associated Attorneys, LLC can direct you to a highly qualified, skilled credit card debt reduction and debt settlement attorney who can settle you credit card accounts for the least amount possible and do so in a manner in which you can have confidence. You can have relief from your financial difficulties and experience peace of mind. For more information please contact Associated Attorneys, LLC at www.associatedattorneys.com or call toll free at 1-866-411-4693.

About the Author: Melvin R. Singleterry, former Judge and former elected District Attorney is a licensed practicing attorney of many years who specializes in consumer debt law.

Don’t Ignor Your Debt Problems – Get Help

Posted on: March 16th, 2011 by Editor in Associated Attorneys, Attorney Debt Relief, Debt Relief by Lawyer, Debt Settlement, News

Finding Freedom From All That Debt Feels Impossible? Find Out What You Can Do

Debt really means trouble for so many people and often times it can lead to severe devastation, when things just do not get paid off eventually. Ignoring your Debt will cost you an enormous amount at the end of the day because what could potentially end up happening is, you could very easily lose all of your assets and property, and I am very certain that nobody out there anticipates something such as that happening to them, right.

Do not let your debt cause this to potentially happen to you down the road. Lack of responsibility is sometimes to blame but honestly there are many occasions where it is only because of an individuals ability to earn enough money to afford to pay off their debt and so many times they are either ashamed, so they avoid ever even thinking about it or they just do not have the money, so feel as though they need to hide out from the people calling them consistently, as well as sending them threatening letters each day in the mail at their home.

Your actions in trying to find that financial freedom you have been searching for for so long now is not something that will come easy for many but there are also plenty of people out there that are so tired of worrying about debt, that they would try to do just about anything to help in preventing more debt or to at least get out of some of the debt that they are currently involved in, which is creating so much turmoil in their lives.

Finding financial freedom from all or most of that debt can feel seriously impossible but throughout articles such as these, you are going to get little helpful hints that could very well provide you with some of the answers to many of the important and understandable questions that you currently have about debt or have had in the past, but were just too unsure to feel confident enough to ask them.

Freedom from debt, all of it or just one or two less payments each month, can dramatically create fabulous changes within your life and make it much easier to survive paycheck to paycheck, which sometimes uncontrollable Debt feels like an impossibility for way too many people. Debt problems are the number one cause, in my opinion, for all of the stomach problems out there that people are suffering from, as well as the many awful divorces that are occurring right now as we all sit here, reading this article.

Your freedom rides on whether or not you are going to have the strength and determination to cut corners when needed, spend only when necessary and live by your means each and every month that passes, without too many excuses or exceptions to the rules. Allowing little mistakes constantly can surely add up at the end of the day, creating unwanted debt and putting more stress on you than you would want.

Consolidate your Debt and End Debt Stress

Posted on: March 16th, 2011 by Editor in Attorney Debt Relief, Credit Counseling, Debt Relief by Lawyer, Debt Settlement

Find Out More About Different Things You Can Do To Help Relieve You From Debt Stress

Debt stress is something that too many of us know far too much about, right. Well, many of you probably are also aware of the fact that there are different things that can be done to help relieve you from some of that debt stress that is weighing on your mind each day. Some people choose to ignore their debt problems, phone calls coming in daily and notices in their mail each day, while others choose to consolidate all of their debts.

If you can find a way to relieve yourself from some of the debt stress that is occurring, then you should most definitely give it a good honest shot. Debt Consolidation can really turn your life around and alleviate that painful stress that you have been having to deal with now for entirely too long. It is a very good idea, if you ever do get a chance, to talk with some sort of financial adviser, or someone that can give you some wonderful ideas on improving your current financial standing.

One thing that has become very beneficial to many families is debt consolidation. By consolidating all of your debts, or most of them, and only having that one payment monthly, you would be quite surprised how much less stressful things will be for you. Debt consolidators can help you to get your life back on track and begin taking care of some of those debts, instead of ignoring them, as many people end up doing.

By choosing debt consolidation you also no longer have to worry about those terrible late fees and high taxes, which is a huge relief for people trying to help themselves get out of old debts that have been causing them tremendous stress. There is nothing wrong with anyone asking for some type of help, when it comes to debt solutions. There is something wrong with putting creditors off and ignoring their phone calls.

You might find that by speaking with them, they could offer you some solutions to your debt issues. Too many people are afraid and tend to not want to deal with them but what all of you should know is that, that is always a serious mistake, a mistake that could definitely cost you big time. Do not be ashamed of having too many debts, because you are not the only one in that shape.

Most families, at some point throughout life, find themselves bogged down by tremendous debts or debt that makes them feel almost in constant panic and it is just so sad. Finding solutions to your debt problem can give you the stress free life that you truly deserve, or at least less stressful life. Talk with a financial adviser or debt consolidator today.

Help really is right around the corner, but that help will not just come knocking on your door. It is up to you to get the help that you need to finally find the relief that you deserve. Debt Help can be a serious issue for many individuals but if you can consolidate those debts and make things easier on yourself, you can start enjoying life more than ever before.

Avoid Debt and Being Sued

Posted on: March 15th, 2011 by Editor in Attorney Debt Relief, Credit Counseling, Debt Relief by Lawyer, Debt Settlement, News

There Is No Way To Avoid Legal Action When Choosing To Not Pay Any Money On Your Old Debt.

Legal action should be expected for anyone who is avoiding paying their monthly debt each month, by one creditor or another or more than one at a time even. You never know how bad it could get if you just let all of your debt go for so long, you could find yourself being sued by some of your creditors and if that happens you will have no choice but to somehow come up with the money that is needed to pay off some of those debts, whether you like it or not.

There is simply no way for anyone of you to avoid any sort of legal action whenever you are choosing to just not pay any of your debt that has been accruing now for so long. Once legal action has begun there is normally no other way for you to get out of having to pay off your creditors, unless there is some sort of prearrangement made by both you and your creditor but that arrangement has absolutely got to always be accomplished monthly and on time.

You have a responsibility whenever you purchase something via your favorite credit card or however you are choosing to make the purchase on some type of credit card. Too many people are running up their credit cards and some people actually know up front that there is never any way possible that they will ever have the ability to pay off any kind of debt such as credit cards.

If you can come up with some type of financial plan for yourself and for the future of your children then you will be much better off in the long run. There are financial advisers in your local bank branch or you could find yourself one on the internet, that could provide you with plenty of helpful information regarding debt and all of the different things you can do to help your current situation that you have gotten yourself into throughout the years.

Take full responsibility for every action that you make, especially your financial choices. By doing so you are going to be teaching all of your children the appropriate way to handle their finances as they grow older into adulthood. You can teach them helpful things about not acquiring too much debt as they grow older and you will really be providing them with the most beneficial advice possible.

Allow them to ask you questions about debt and anything concerning it, so that they can gain more and more helpful knowledge from their intelligent and very wise parent, that they will thank and look up to forever because of such love and tremendous guidance. Debt does not have to be a big bad monster, if you can control your spending and be smart with all of your choices, along with keeping up on all of your monthly payments, your finances should remain in place and your future seems bright.

Obama Credit Card Debt Relief

Posted on: February 1st, 2011 by admin in Attorney Debt Relief, Credit Card Debt Relief, Credit Counseling, Debt Relief by Lawyer, Debt Settlement, News

BANKRUPTCY—SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER

Some beleaguered American consumers who are struggling with oppressive credit card debt find that credit card debt assistance leading to credit card debt elimination is not a viable option so they must consider bankruptcy. Perhaps they have already tried different avenues to solve their financial problems such as credit card consolidation, credit card counseling, credit card debt assistance, and other Credit Card Debt Solutions

Because of the negative perceptions generally associated with filing for bankruptcy, most consumers are loath to take this approach. Bankruptcy is indeed the “option of last resort”. Sometimes, unfortunately, it may be the only option left for a consumer.

A consumer contemplating filing for bankruptcy should seek the advise of a qualified bankruptcy attorney. The attorney will explain the procedure as well as the negative aspects regarding being adjudged bankrupt. The attorney will tell the consumer that bankruptcy may or may not achieve the desired results and explain to them the aspects of the different kinds of bankruptcy. The attorney will provide information relative to the long term effects including reduction of their credit worthiness and reduction of their credit scores. He will also advise them as to which assets they own may or may not be affected by the bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy is a product of Federal law. Federal Bankruptcy Courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
There are 2 different forms of bankruptcy that is typically used by a consumer. They are Chapter 13 and Chapter 7. Which Chapter a consumer should seek depends on the financial circumstances of the consumer as well as the end results the consumer is seeking.

Chapter 13 allows the debtor to reorganize and establish a plan for repayment. The repayment plan is usually for a period of 5 years. A bankruptcy trustee will be appointed by the Court. This trustee will have a mandate to oversee and manage the repayment plan. Typically, under Chapter 13 debtors are able to keep their assets.

Chapter 7 requires the liquidation of most assets in the debtor’s estate. Debtor’s assets will be liquidated in order to obtain funds to repay creditors. In many cases involving liquidation there is usually not sufficient money generated to satisfy all of the debtor’s financial obligations. In this kind of bankruptcy there are usually few objections or issues of dispute and the debtor is granted a “discharge” of most of their debts. The debtor is no longer personally liable for repaying these debts.

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