Make sure you make at least
the minimum monthly payment to all creditors, and if there are extenuating circumstances that make it impossible to make a payment, call your creditor to discuss options.
Not exact matches
If you find you can't spend enough on debt repayment
to cover all of your
creditors»
minimum required
monthly payments, a Debt Management Plan (DMP) may make your
payments affordable.
In fact, a reputable nonprofit credit counseling agency usually can get
creditors to reduce your interest rate and
minimum monthly payment through a DMP program, even if they've already refused your direct request for concessions.
He will then negotiate with your
creditors to reduce the interest rate on your outstanding debt so that you can afford
to make the
minimum monthly payments and get out of debt.
However,
creditors may agree
to report
payments made under your credit counseling plan as «paid as agreed» even if you're paying less than the
monthly minimum payments.
Make sure
to view your
monthly statements because by law
creditors must disclose on your
monthly statement how long it will take for you
to pay off all your debt by paying only
minimum payments.
These extra
payments are additional
payments, and are only made after
minimum monthly payments are made (on time),
to each and every
creditor.
Your credit counselor may ask you
to stop paying
monthly minimums to creditors for the length of the program (generally 2 — 4 years) and send them a single,
monthly payment you can afford.
The company will work with your
creditors — sometimes reducing your
minimum monthly payments or interest rate — and you'll be required
to write one check each month
to pay all of your debts.
It is designed for consumers who can't afford
to make
monthly minimum payments to creditors.
Sometimes there isn't a
monthly payment listed so the lender asks the borrower
to have the
creditor provide a
minimum monthly payment.
Your financial hardship must be severe enough
to result in your inability
to pay your
creditor's
monthly minimum payment.
If you're unable
to make more than
minimum monthly payments on your debts, rely on credit
to meet your
monthly expenses, or are being harassed by
creditors, please know that there are options available
to you.
To begin, list all of your debts including the total amount owed, the interest rate being charged by the
creditor, and the amount of the
minimum monthly payment.
Then call each
creditor and tell them that you've been struggling
to make the
minimum monthly payments on your accounts, but that you are trying
to do the right thing and pay off your debts.
Nitzsche says that
creditors are not motivated
to cut a deal if they are still receiving a
minimum monthly payment.
For people who can easily afford the
monthly minimum payment the
creditors ask for, can also continue
to save for retirement and their emergency fund, and who don't care their credit cards will be closed, then the interest rate reductions and single
monthly payment might be attractive.