Do It Yourself Debt Settlement

Self Help Debt Settlement - Steps to Help You Negotiate Your Own Debt (Part 7)

2011-05-01T13:10:00.001-07:00

Review of Debt Reduction and Debt Settlement Methods

There are two basic ways to relieve your debt. Debt Reduction or Debt Settlement, Debt Reduction involves making a payment plan to bring the amount in arrears up to date. With this option creditors may be willing to negotiate low or no interest to allow you to pay off the entire debt over several years. Debt Settlement is when you negotiate with the creditor to settle on your debt, by allowing you to make one lump sum payment (and in some cases several payments) to settle the debt for less than you owe. Debt Reduction is usually a more favorable option to your credit than Debt Settlement, as a creditor always prefers to get the full amount owed, even if it's late.

Here is a description of both options and how to organize them:

Debt Reduction means you set up a payment plan to get your payments back on track and current. This means that you can no longer meet your current payment obligations that you have set forth, and you need to change them to fit your current life situation. This means that you will have lower payments and a longer time to pay it off. Arranging a payment schedule for this is important as it will stop any legal or collection action. In order to make this a reality, you will need to write a letter to a creditor explaining your situation and why you require a new payment arrangement. A creditor may not be satisfied with your first request, but will respond to you and eventually you will find yourself agreeing on the arrangement.

Debt Settlement means that you agree to pay your creditor a lump cash payment in order to settle your debts for less than you owe. This will not have the most possible effect on your credit, as you will not have paid the loan or credit card in the manner and for the amount that you agree it. This option is more preferable to a lender than bankruptcy where a creditor will receive nothing; you will need to have cash to make one payment to the lender. When settling with a lender, you will need to make sure that they respond in writing, so that they cannot sue you for damages after you have settled the debt for less than what is owed.

The decision to choose can be difficult, but it is important to be realistic, after you have determined how much you have to spare to make debt payments, make a decision between Debt Reduction and Debt Settlement based on what you can realistically afford and what will bring you out of financial dire straits.

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing
B-EZ Enterprises
(480) 278-3717

email media@2settlemydebt.com
website http://www.2settlemydebt.com

Self Help Debt Settlement - Steps to Help You Negotiate Your Own Debt (Part 6)

2011-02-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

One by One: Dealing with each creditor one by one

Okay, you know where you're at. You know what you can do. Now, it's time to start the process of negating with each creditor. If you have done your budget correctly, you will have a pretty good idea where to start.

Write a letter to the creditor

Write a hardship letter to the creditor, you will need to make sure all the information is correct. Include your account number, amount owed, and your correct contact information. The letter should include why your account has fallen behind, how your situation has changed. Be sure to also indicate the correct method that the creditor must communicate with you, as they are legally obligated to do so. Finally, it is important that you maintain a correct attitude when communicating with your creditors; you do owe them money after all.

File all communication

Not all creditors are created equal and some will want their money sooner than others. It is vital that you assemble a file for each creditor. You will need to include all correspondence that has been exchanged between yourself and the creditor. If there is ever a discrepancy between what you have said and what the creditor has said and legal action is taken, an organized file will become your best friend. Another reason this is important is when dealing through this process you may find that a lot of money is owed and it is important that you are able to remember and recall which creditors you are working with, so you don't become subject to judgments or wage garnishments as a result of you forgetting about a creditor that still needs to be paid.

Perhaps, the most important thing in preparing a plan is that you will minimize your problems. Dealing with creditors can be difficult and it can seem very overwhelming, once you are able to deal with each creditor one by one, you will find that solving and catching up on your debts is not as unattainable as it once looked like. More than that the process of reestablishing your credit will become easier and you will be more successful in having a stronger credit score sooner.

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing
B-EZ Enterprises
(480) 278-3717

email media@2settlemydebt.com

website http://www.2settlemydebt.com

Self Help Debt Settlement - Steps to Help You Negotiate Your Own Debt (Part 5)

2011-01-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

Debt Settlement or Debt Reduction; what is your best choice?

After you have went through you budget, you will be able to know how much money you have left on a monthly basis to contribute towards your debt load. The question you must then consider is if you should work towards a debt settlement plan that will involve having you outstanding debt settled, or a debt reduction plan that involves working with your creditors to execute plan that reduces your interest and fees and allows you to repay what you currently owe. There are advantages and disadvantages to both programs.

Debt Settlement Plan

Pros:

A debt settlement plan allows you to pay back only a portion that is owed to your lender. An example being if you owe $10,000 a lender will settle with you for a cash payment of $5000.00 or $6000.00, this enables you to resolve your debt with your creditor(s).

Cons:

Having your debt settled could have an adverse effect on your credit. It is likely that you will be unable to get credit from any company that you have settled debt with. Another negative is that when you settle debt you must pay off the debt in one lump payment (the faster you pay the more you could save). This may not be possible if you are struggling financially.

Debt Reduction Plan

Pros:

A debt payment plan involves arranging a payment plan that is different from your regular payment plan that was originally required when you started with the creditor. This system has the most positive effect on your credit as the creditor is still able to recover all the money that is owed them. There is also a possibility of being able to have your interest reduced (sometimes to zero percent), so that you will be able to have more of your payment go towards principal rather than interest

Cons:

If you are carrying too much debt, working out a payment plan that involves continuing to pay on the debt that is owed may not offer much relief. Also, even though this is a more positive option that debt reduction in relation to your credit it could still negatively affect your credit.

So, which of these options should you choose? This really depends upon your current income and debt responsibilities. Certainly, choosing to pay back all the debt with a modified payment option is the most favorable one for your credit, and the one the lender prefers. For example if you currently owe $20000.00 in credit card debt with an average interest rate of 24.99 percent your monthly interest is about $500.00 per month. If you negotiate a five (5) year repayment plan your payments would be about $650.00 per month. By reducing your interest rate to an average of 10 percent this would reduce your interest to about $167.00 per month. If you negotiate a five (5) year repayment plan your payments would be about $425.00 per month. Now imagine if you could negotiate a zero percent interest rate with your creditor(s).

In stating the above, it's important to be realistic, if you are not making any headway now in catching up, working out a payment plan could just continue to bring you hardship. This must be considered. The most important thing to remember is that the debt reduction plan must work for you and your budget. If you choose an option that continues to keep you "tied up" you will run into the same issues.

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing
B-EZ Enterprises
(480) 278-3717

email media@2settlemydebt.com

website http://www.2settlemydebt.com

Debt Settlement - The Obama Debt Reduction Program - Fact Or Fiction

2010-12-20T17:00:00.001-07:00

The Obama Debt Reduction Plan

You may have heard it on the radio. It's the program that Barack Obama has to ease our debt load. The only thing is that it's not true. Whether we hear about this program, because people wish that the government provided a program, or they just honestly believe that they do. This doesn't mean that the government has been silent. There are some things to do with regulating debt that has been put into place. This pertains to Credit Card Companies and making sure that higher fees and interest rates are not passed onto the consumer in their biggest moment of need.

What fuels this program? A 9.8% average unemployment rate across the country. This has put many US Citizens in situations where they are unable to meet their monthly obligations. The unemployment rate does not include those with wage cuts, shorter workweeks, or those in the service industry receiving tips. Every one of these factors causes financial strain that cause families and individuals looking for ways to lessen their debt burden. Individuals are not alone, financial institutions have felt the pinch of hard times and have been able to receive stimulus packages from the government. This may be the reason why people think that Obama has created a program for individuals. This is simply not the case. Here are some myths that are not true:

The Obama Government does not have a debt consolidation program

Every time you hear an ad for this on the radio, understand it is just a debt consolidation company that is using the current government to convince you they are selling a government backed program. Debt consolidation is not government activity, but is provided through pay companies.

Debt Reduction Programs

There is a growing myth, that the Obama government is offering a program that will erase your debt. This is not true and not possible. Creditors still expect their debt to be resolved. Never go into any conversations with your creditor with the attitude that you don't need to pay. Even though, you may have gotten in trouble you are still responsible for the debt you borrowed it.

In order to always have up to the date and current information be sure to check out more refutable people and publications. Finances are an every-changing market, where moves are constantly being made that change the market tomorrow. Anytime, you want to do something you should consult your financial planner first.

The best advice B-EZ Enterprises can provide to consumers having financial hardship is "do your research and use common sense." Consumers should contact creditors at the earliest signs of financial hardship and utilize a "work with your creditors approach" to resolving financial issues. Creditors, in the majority of cases will work with consumers who are proactive in seeking a resolution. The fundamental objective in any successful negotiation is both parties must come away from the negotiation feeling that they received something. Consumers should remain engaged in the process and remain persistent, remember, just because a creditor was unwilling to provide a solution today; tomorrow is another day.

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing
B-EZ Enterprises
(480) 278-3717

email media@2settlemydebt.com

website http://www.2settlemydebt.com

Self Help Debt Settlement - Steps to Help You Negotiate Your Own Debt (Part 4)

2010-06-15T20:55:00.001-07:00

The debt settlement process begins!

How do I allocate my money?

How do you determine how to allocate your funds properly to the right sources on a month to month basis? Some expenses are monthly and others are yearly. These expenses will need to be calculated on how to save for on a monthly basis.

Living Expenses:

Living Expenses that are required on a monthly basis need to fit into your budget first. First, include your food expenses. Use your supermarket flyers, so that you can maximize your food budget. Secondly, include power and water. These can be somewhat fixed expenses, so it's a good idea to have them debited directly from your account. Fixed Monthly Expenses can also include your phone, internet, and television costs. Make sure each expense is on a package, so that the expense can be budgeted for as a fixed monthly expenditure. Other budget costs that need to be accounted for are gas costs, and any fixed medical costs. This will also include your rent or mortgage.

Living Expenses not due every month:

It's a very easy formula. Every expense that is paid on a yearly basis needs to be divided by twelve and put away to prepare. There are a few ways to do this; many companies will allow you to pay them monthly. You can also put the money away in a high-interest savings account, so that you will have enough funds when the time comes to pay. Expenses that are included in this are car insurance, property taxes, Christmas (a time not to over spend), some car expenses, and vacations (try a staycation instead).

Dealing with Your Debt:

After, you have allocated all your money to your appropriate living expenses. You will need to attack your debt. It is likely, that you are in a position that your debt has overwhelmed you and you cannot pay everything that is owed. In the future, you will want to make sure to keep your debt payments at no more than 30% of your monthly income. If you find that you can't make your debt payments, you will need to take the following steps.

How to I determine how much you can pay your creditors

Gather all of your monthly bills together and establish a monthly budget. Make a list of your necessary monthly expenses to include your mortgage or rent, car payments, utilities, Insurance, gasoline, food and other household bills. Take this amount and multiply that sum by 1.2; this will give you an additional 20 percent cushion for unexpected expenses or emergencies. The difference between your total household income and the previously calculated amount is your monthly settlement budget. Start setting this amount aside as your settlement fund, as this fund accumulates use this as your benchmark for amounts you offer your creditors.

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing
B-EZ Enterprises
(480) 278-3717
email media@2settlemydebt.com
website http://www.2settlemydebt.com

Self Help Debt Settlement - Steps to Help You Negotiate Your Own Debt (Part 3)

2010-06-15T20:38:00.001-07:00

Budgeting: Putting food on the table for less

You got to eat, right? But, how do you eat healthy and well for less? Food costs are rising all over the planet and families have seen their food budget increase and eat up more and more of their disposable item.

Here are some tips to keep your family healthy and well-fed without straining the budget:

Grocery Shop with a list

It's amazing how many people grocery shop without a list, and end up running up their grocery amounts to excessive amounts. Before visiting the grocery store, go through their weekly flyer and make a list of the on sale items and plan to incorporate those items into your meals. Generally, the items that you need are on the outskirts of the store, so if you don't have to go down a grocery aisle, don't.

Don't be afraid of the discount bin

Don't be afraid to buy items from the discount bin even if the cans are dinged up. Just because the packaging is hurt doesn't mean the food is. You can often get items for half-priced that are close to their due date. Consider these items as well, as they will just need to get eaten first.

Buy in Bulk...Most of the Time

Any items that are likely to be used on a regular basis in your house, consider buying them in bulk. These items include things like sugar, flour, meats, etc. A word of caution though is that it's not necessary to buy items in bulk that you won't be able to eat before they go bad.

Grow a Garden

If eating healthy is important to you, consider growing your own garden. This will be extremely inexpensive. Make sure though, before you go ahead with growing a garden that you are prepared to handle to work, as if you aren't diligent your garden won't produce anything and your money will be wasted.

Learn to love leftovers

Try to keep using food that is leftover in other meals. There are a lot of websites that can help you utilize what you have, rather than making a trip to the grocery store every day.

Eat before leaving the house

A lot of people end up splurging at restaurants simply, because they haven't taken the time to eat at home in the morning. Eat a good breakfast, and bring a snack with you to work, and you'll save your snack money.

Money is not about how much you make, but how much value you can create from your dollars. Make a plan right now to watch your money your spending on food, and you'll find you wallet isn't starving anymore.

If you have been reading the articles in the series, you should have a good idea by now how being conscious of your spending habits can increase your ability to allocate funds towards resolving your debt. In my next article I will lay out how to use this budget to start negotiating with your creditors.

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing
B-EZ Enterprises
(480) 278-3717
media@2settlemydebt.com

http://www.2settlemydebt.com

eMail From Ester About US

2010-06-15T16:03:00.001-07:00

Ian,

Thank you very much for your timely and useful advice. I just cancelled our contract with a debt settlement company. In trying to find a solution to help us settle our business credit card debts, I almost got us deeper in debt if I went ahead and use a debt settlement company. This company would have charged us a 15% fee on total debt for using software meant for consumers with personal unsecured debts. That is $150.00 for every $1,000 amount due that would have been wasted and given us more future problems. If I were settling personal, unsecured debts, I would definitely use your software.

Indeed, it would give us more assurance to deal with a local attorney who would negotiate with the banks for us or even file a Chapter 11 for small business bankruptcy, than deal with debt settlement companies. The debt settlement fees asked could have paid for one or two of the credit cards.

We need more people like you who are finding solutions and helping financially distressed, hardworking Americans during our present economic downturns.

All the best,

Esther - Idaho

P.S.

You may use my email message as reference. Again, thanks.

Thanks Ester,

I'm sorry I could not provide specific advice to help you in your current situation. As I advised you we are not a debt settlement company but a Self Help debt settlement website. We provide our customers the method and tools they need to negotiate directly with their creditors.

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing
B-EZ Enterprises
(480) 278-3717
media@2settlemydebt.com

http://www.2settlemydebt.com

Self Help Debt Settlement - Steps to Help You Negotiate Your Own Debt (Part 2)

2010-05-31T13:29:00.001-07:00

Budget: Boost Your Income

So, you’ve done your budget. There’s only one problem. You’re finding there is always too much month and not enough cash. How do you fix that problem? For some it’s a process of paying off debt to improve their monthly cash flow and for others it’s a case of boosting their income on a more permanent basis. In any case, here are some great suggestions.

Sell Items on Ebay and Craigslist

Everybody has things that aren’t being used, but are just accumulating in their house. Put your old baby items, and dusty CDs up for sale on Ebay or Craigslist. These sites are very easy to use, and will usually give you more income that if you sell them at a garage sale. Be very careful to always include shipping and handling, or you will see your profits get eaten up.

Take on a second job

It is true, that you could take on a second hourly job, but the best ones to boost your income are a little more flexible.

These can include:

a) Pizza Delivery: There is a lot of room for tips, and many places don’t even require you to be there unless there is a pizza to deliver
b) Elance: If you have a skill like writing, graphic design, etc. you can make more by freelancing out your skills at your leisure
c) Saturday and Evening Jobs: If you do have to do a hourly job, look for one that gives tips, and hours that will fit into your schedule. These places will be used to working around second jobs, babysitters, and more complex schedules.

Fill out Surveys
This may seem like an obscure thing to do, but there are many places that you can fill out surveys for extra money and get paid for your opinion. Do a search on the internet and you’ll be sure to find what your looking for.

Add a Roommate

Whether you rent or own your home, a roommate can really reduce your monthly expenses. Consider moving your kids to one room, or converting a downstairs rec. room into a room. Doing this can reduce your house or rent expenses by 25% to 50%. Offer your room furnished and with utilities and you’ll be able to command a premium without seeing much increase to your monthly overhead. If you don’t want anyone else in your house, you can also consider renting a garage to a tradesperson or a band looking to make it big.

Start a Home-Based Business

This can include all the typical Tupperware and Mary Kay Products. If you are able to keep your overhead down, you can increase your income quickly as there are limited requirements to keep inventory and no storefront costs.

Build Your Education

If you find that you are in a more permanent income crunch, you should consider increasing your education, so you can look for a higher-paying job. You also should consider increasing your financial education, so that you can discover more creative income making methods in businesses or investments.

Self Help Debt Settlement - Steps to Help You Negotiate Your Own Debt (Part 1)

2010-05-28T15:32:00.003-07:00

This article is part of a series of articles dedicated to helping consumers get out and stay out of debt. This article is about budgeting: The real way to avoid debt problems.

Budgeting:
The real way to avoid debt problems

It’s a simple formula. What you make, must line up with what you spend. If you need to spend more, you have to make more. Mastering this simple formula will save you from getting behind on payments and being unable to pay off mounting debt. The easiest way to get this under control is a written budget. A written budget requires you to spend on paper, what you intend to spend during the month. So, where do you start, what do you include, and how do you make a budget? Here are some good guidelines.

Income

This is as simple as it gets. What do you make very month? Be sure to include all job income, expected bonuses, and child benefit money. Also, don’t round this number up, or you will find yourself dealing with as shortfall. Be realistic. Take into account anticipated day-offs or shortage of income. If you find, that your expenses don’t match up with the amount of money you are making, you need to take action. The first step you’ll need to consider is reducing your expenses. The other step you can consider is increasing your income. You can do this temporarily by selling items on Ebay, taking on a second job, or adding a roommate. If these things, don’t appeal to you you’ll need to look at a more permanent income boost like changing careers or creating some investments.

Expenses

Here are the things that should be considered in a budget.

Food:

First and foremost, you should plan to eat. This part of your budget involves going to the grocery store, and not out to restaurants. Grocery shop with a shopping list, as you will find it easier to not spend money on things that are unnecessary.

Heat, Electric and Water

This is also an essential that you should consider first. Make sure to keep on top of this, as well as look for energy-saving tips that will make this an easier pill to swallow every month.

Rent/Mortgage:

You need a roof over your head. If you find that you have the potential to get behind on this talk to your bank or landlord, and they may be able to be flexible with you. As a rule, combined with heat, electric, water, and property taxes this should account for no more than 30% of your income.

Transportation:

Some forms of these expenses are essentials and others are luxuries. You will need to account for transportation that will enable you to fulfill your regular life duties. Try to avoid costly car payments or leases. Buy a car with cash, and hold off from buying a more expensive car until you can pay with cash. You can also consider using public transportation. You will also need to account for gas costs, insurance costs, and car upkeep cost.

Phone and Internet

This is perhaps an expense that has been rising over the last decade. Most people in your house will have a cell phone, consider a family plan with restrictions on texting and long-distance phone calls. If you have a landline, try to reduce the features, as to not have it coincide with cell phone features. An example being if you have a good long-distance plan on your cell phone, don’t put one on your landline and make all long-distance phone calls from your cell phone. Nearly every home has internet access, try to get in included with your phone bill for the most aggressive pricing package.

Medical Insurance:

Whether, you have some coverage from work or your own plan, be sure to keep on your premiums, you never know when there needed. Also, if you know of big medical expenses are coming up, start to save as early as possible, so you need to put aside less per month.

Television:

This can also be paired with your phone and internet package on occasion. Only pay for channels and order channels that are watched to avoid unnecessary costs.

Health/Beauty:

This includes soap, shampoo, cleaning supplies, etc. Buying in bulk is always cheaper as items rarely expire. You also will need to budget in biweekly or monthly haircuts.

Charitable Donations:

This will include all gifts give to charities or churches. Be sure to track these as they are usually tax deductible and will increase your income tax refund.

House Expenses:

It’s a good idea to have a slush fund of a couple hundred dollars per month to pay for unexpected house problems. This will avoid unneeded stress if the toilet overflows. You should also make sure you are covering your yearly property taxes and insurance. Many times, these items are included in your mortgage, but if not set aside money on a monthly basis.

Entertainment:

Although, it should be a final priority, it is healthy to spend time and money on fun. This will make for a healthy home environment.

Other Yearly Expenses:

Some bills won’t be monthly, but will be need to be paid on a yearly basis. To anticipate this, take the payment and divide it by 12 and you have your monthly payment. These expenses include vacations, new clothes, new furnishings, education cost, etc.

Savings and Investments

Develop a plan to save three months of expenses in case of jobless or unexpected expenses. Also, consider how you will prepare for your children’s education and retirement, by developing savings plans that fit your goals and comfort levels.

B-EZ Enterprises Celebrates One Year of Helping Consumers Negotiate Directly with their Creditors Utilizing a “Work with your Creditors” Approach

2010-05-10T08:24:00.002-07:00

B-EZ Enterprises operates the website www.2SettleMyDebt.com and now celebrates the websites one year milestone. The website utilizes a patent pending method of internet debt settlement. This Self Help website employs a patent pending method that allows consumers to enter creditors, make offers to creditors, generates letters and allows these creditors to accept, reject or make counter offers via the internet.

Self Help Debt Negotiation website, www.2SettleMyDebt.com was created by a Credit and Collections insider to assist consumers in negotiating directly with their creditors utilizing a “Work with your Creditors” approach. This website was created to combat Debt Settlement Companies and their sometimes unscrupulous tactics. Consumers who are seriously considering debt settlement should be aware that there are alternatives.

2SettleMyDebt.com provides their users with secure internet access to “user specific databases” and preformatted letters that assist individuals in negotiating directly with their creditors. Their website also provides the users to choose either debt reduction or debt settlement programs. Both programs are fully explained and facilitated by their Patent Pending method of debt negotiation.

Once a consumer signs up for this Self Help debt negotiation web based program, they have secure individual access to the databases, video tutorials, explanations of both the debt settlement and debt reduction methods. The website also provides the users a complimentary copy of “The Debt Settlement” eBook written by a debt collector to assist consumers in their negotiations with creditors.

DIY Debt settlement is not that difficult if consumers have the knowledge and the tools they need. 2SettleMyDeb.com provides their subscribers with the knowledge and tools, as well as a step by step method to successfully negotiate directly with their creditors. To see a video demonstration of the process utilized visit http://www.2SettleMydebt.com for more information on their Patent Pending Method of debt reduction.

Visit our website http://www.2SettleMyDebt.com for more information about our services!

Debt Settlement Industry Infringing on Intellectual Property of Patent Pending Self Help Debt Settlement Technology?

2010-04-17T21:11:00.004-07:00

B-EZ Enterprises Developed a patent pending Method of Internet Debt Settlement in May of 2009 because the inventor was tired of seeing consumers being deceived by debt settlement companies. Now, it seems that the debt settlement is attempting to utilize a very similar technology to in an attempt to mislead consumers.

Earlier this month B-EZ Enterprises noticed a press release from a Florida based marketing company offering self help debt settlement software. After researching the software being offered, their method seemed to infringe on the intellectual property contained in our patent pending method of internet debt settlement. The software once purchased, basically creates a website that’s features all of the embodiments of our provisional patent. The inventor of our patent pending process had several fruitless conversations with one of the principles of the software company. After providing the principle of the company a copy of the provisional patent filed on May 4, 2009, the inventor was referred to the software company’s intellectual property attorney.

After attempting to reach the Florida based software companies attorney without response, the inventor of our patent pending method of internet debt settlement retained legal counsel to assist in in this matter. After retaining one of Arizona’s most experienced Intellectual property law firms the inventor did finally receive a phone call from the software company’s attorney. The conversation with the attorney was very brief and was as well not fruitful in attempting to resolve any infringement matters.

Over the last several years the debt settlement industry has experienced expansion beyond belief. During the current economic downturn the industry has become very savvy in marketing of consumers with clever advertisement. The majority of this advertisement is designed to prey on the fears of financially burdened consumers. Because of this and growing consumer complaints debt settlement industry has also attracted the attention of numerous State Attorney Generals and the Federal Trade Commission. New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock, Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell, Alabama Attorney General Troy King, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and other State Attorney General’s as well as the Federal Trade Commission have been cracking down on the debt settlement industry to protect consumers.

We believe this is good news for consumers, however, imagine a scenario where a debt settlement companies start doing business as a “Self Help Debt Settlement” or “DIY Debt Settlement” website. These companies already pay extremely high fees for their marketing leads. These leads come from consumers interested in solutions to their financial problems. Consumers see advertisements on television, hear advertisements on radio or fill out forms on the internet. From these leads, one or several debt settlement companies contact the consumer in an attempt to enroll them in their program. The problem we see with this is, after several years a company could have hundreds of thousands of leads including: the consumers name, address phone number as well as email addresses. These leads could be used by an existing company to deceive consumers into believing they are not dealing with an organization they already decided not to do business with, or worse, a company that was shut down could just start a new website and market with these leads and be right back in business.

The website www.2SettleMyDebt.com was designed to truly help consumers negotiate directly with their creditors at the first sign of financial hardship. The website was designed to be a clear choice for consumers to avoid being ripped off by this industry. This Patent Pending Method of Internet Debt Settlement allows a consumer a low cost option to these companies. Once a consumer enrolls for this self help debt settlement website they can enter creditors, make debt reduction or settlement offers to their creditors, generate letters to their creditors and allows creditors to make counter offers via the internet. Once a consumer enrolls they can be assured that their personal information is secure by state of the art encryption to avoid disclosure to anyone but the consumer.
Consumers beware: if you are offered enrollment to a self help debt settlement website that is not ours, you could be dealing with a debt settlement company without your knowledge.

Here are seven ways can a consumer spot these websites?

1. These websites will have you fill out a form for more information just like most industry websites.

2. These websites at present do not disclose the cost of enrollment just like most industry websites.

3. These websites all utilizes the same type of verbiage and spotlight the same software.

4. These websites will all have different sales pitches, however, if you are quoted a tiered or excessive fee for enrollment be suspicious.

5. If you are speaking with a live person after providing information from a contact form this should be your biggest clue. It’s probably not a self help website.

6. If the website states that they are a member of a National organization of industry professionals; stay away!

7. Finally ask the company if they have licensed the utilized for internet debt settlement from B-EZ Enterprises. If they advise you they have, ask for proof.

Visit our website http://www.2SettleMyDebt.com for more information about our services!

Self Help Debt Settlement vs. Debt Settlement Companies and Consumer Credit Agencies

2010-03-20T12:31:00.005-07:00

Do It Yourself Debt Settlement or Do It Yourself Debt reduction are viable alternative to resolving your debt. The dirty little secret Debt Settlement Companies and Consumer Credit Agencies do not want you to know is: They can make thousands of dollars for a service that you can accomplish yourself. Hiring either a debt settlement company or a Consumer Credit Agency is like hiring someone to tie your shoes.

Once you have decided to Do It Yourself, you must make an unyielding commitment to the process. It is essential that you understand that your creditors, in almost every case, will not even discuss settlements if you are currently paying them. Once you stop paying your creditors, the debt settlement process begins. The creditor is going to start escalating their collection processes in an attempt to mitigate their financial losses. Your creditors will start calling you to bring your account current. Do not avoid these phone calls; these calls are your opportunities to advise your creditors of your intentions and initiate the negotiation process.

Consumer Credit Agencies do in fact have existing relationships with most creditors, however, what they fail to disclose is the fact that they receive payments from your creditors known as “fair share contributions”. These payments average about 8% of each payment you make to your creditor. In fairness we must advise you this payment is made to the Consumer Credit Agency directly from the creditor.

Now you have to ask yourself one question; if the creditor made the payment to the Consumer Credit Agency and not the consumer, isn’t the creditor losing money? Well it would seem so! But in point of fact, the creditor is making money! How you ask? It’s simple; when Consumer Credit Agencies contact your creditors, they negotiate a reduction of interest from that point on. These reduced interest rates vary in most cases from 10% to 14% instead of the rate you were paying. This means your creditor is still making 2-6% interest after paying the “fair share contribution” to the Consumer Credit Agency.

Debt Settlement Companies make claims that if you make them monthly payments your debt will be resolved within 24, 36 or 48 months. The payment amount seems to be reasonable to most people. A basic rule of thumb should apply to the above: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! What the debt settlement companies forget to advise their clients (or hide it in the fine print of the contract), is that they take the first several payments to cover their sign up fees.
Most people who enroll with Debt Settlement Companies are under the assumption that the creditors have working relationships with the Debt Settlement Company. This is a false assumption; in point of fact, they have an adversarial relationship at best. This adversarial relationship impedes as well as prolongs the debt negotiation process.

The fact that you are willing to discuss your intentions with your creditors is to your advantage. By attempting to negotiate terms or settle your existing debt at an early stage will save you money. This along with the fact that you will save thousands of dollars by not hiring a debt settlement company, or a Consumer Credit Agency, will assist you in resolving your debt months, if not years earlier.

Visit our website http://www.2SettleMyDebt.com for more information about our services!

Debt Settlement Companies Using Deceptive Tactics to Entice Consumers?

2009-08-23T14:48:00.010-07:00

Do Debt Settlement Companies use deceptive tactics to entice you into signing up for their services? We don’t know if they do or not, you can be the judge as to the legitimacy of this blog post! The following post was made on our blog today:

Jennifer said...

Hi,I used ”Credit Solution” to settle my debt and avoid bankruptcy. They managed to reduce my debt up to 58% and improve my credit score. It's legitimate . I came across this company on NBC News Special Edition. Check it out here:http://creditsolution.com/

So to find out if Jennifer’s claims are true, we have drafted an open letter to Jennifer on our Blog to find out more. Our open letter to Jennifer is below:

Dear Jennifer,

This was a very informative post on our blog, http://2settlemydebt.blogspot.com/2009/08/self-help-debt-settlement-creditors-no.html?showComment=1251050331139#c4310639803881860448 today. I was wondering if you could elaborate more for the readers of this blog how the company Credit Solution helped you. Could you also provide copies of settlement letters you received from your creditors? I am sure the people who read this blog would love to have some proof of how much money you saved. If you could provide proof of your claims, I am positive you would also be happy to sign a release under privacy laws to verify your claims with your creditors.

If you do provide verified proof via email, or a hyperlink on the internet, we will be happy to verify these claims with your creditors and bolster your contentions on the following webpage http://www.2SettleMyDebt.com/Jennifers-credit-solution-story.htm.

Visit our website http://www.2SettleMyDebt.com for more information about our services!

Thank you in advance

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing
2SettleMyDebt.com

Self Help Debt Settlement – Creditors No Longer Working With Debt Settlement Companies?

2009-08-03T14:31:00.005-07:00

Several major creditors have implemented programs aimed at debt settlement companies in an attempt to reduce losses. The current trend is expected to grow over the next several months as creditors stop negotiating with debt settlement companies.

Over the last year, debt settlement companies have increased their aggressive marketing of consumers to enroll for their services. Their marketing tactics seem to prey on the fears of consumers, or make misleading statements to entice consumers to enroll for their services. This is a trend that several State Attorney Generals have not been able to ignore, to the dismay of the entire debt settlement industry.

If you are a consumer who is experiencing financial hardship and have heard the advertisements that make claims like:

“We use insider secrets your creditors don’t want you to know about!”

“Banks have already received their bailouts, now it’s your turn”

These and other like minded statements used in debt settlement companies’ advertisements are at best to be regarded with a high level of suspicion.

Consumers who have already hired a debt settlement company could be causing themselves additional expenses due to this trend. Since January 2009, two (2) of the top five (5) credit card issuers (Chase, Bank of America, Citi Bank, American Express and Capitol One) have already stopped dealing with debt settlement companies in general. Our sources indicate this trend does not mean that creditors are not willing to negotiate with consumers directly. The trend seems targeted specifically at debt settlement companies, due to that methods and tactics they utilize.

2SettleMyDebt.com believes this is good news for consumers who are savvy in basic negotiation strategy. By negotiating directly with creditors you will save money if you understand how the debt negotiation process works. Utilizing a “Work with you creditors approach”, self help debt settlement is not a difficult process.

2SettleMyDebt.com provides their users with secure internet access to “user specific databases” and preformatted letters that assist individuals in negotiating directly with their creditors. The website also provides the users to choose either debt reduction or debt settlement programs. Both programs are fully explained and facilitated by their Patent Pending method of debt negotiation.

Once a consumer signs up for their self help debt negotiation web based program they have secure individual access to the databases, video tutorials, explanations of both the debt settlement and debt reduction methods. We also provide the users a complimentary copy of a Do It Yourself Debt Settlement eBook written by Madeline Lee. This eBook was written by a woman who researched the internet then settled her debts without the use a debt settlement company. This saved her thousands of dollars because she was able to control the negotiations with her creditors.

Madeline Lees website states: “This is an ingenious new completely out of the box method of stepping you through the actual process. This method will help you through the confusion of which letter to send and when, Starting with the initial hardship letters and then provide an ongoing space for you to enter all your creditors information for each outstanding debt, and then be able to monitor them. By going through this secure confidential process, you have a direct communication path open to the creditors/collectors, thereby eliminating the anger and frustrations both parties go through. It truly is ingenious and along with my book, and utilizing you have everything you need to tackle your unsecured debt head on”.

DIY Debt settlement is not that difficult if you have the knowledge and the tools you need. We provide our subscribers with both the knowledge and tools to successfully negotiate directly with their creditors. To see a video demonstration of the process utilized visit for more information on our Patent Pending Method of debt reduction visit our website.

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing B-EZ Enterprises
(480) 278-3717
email media@2settlemydebt.com
website http://www.2settlemydebt.com/

Self Help Debt Settlement is a viable alternative to hiring a debt settlement company

2009-07-25T14:46:00.005-07:00

Do It Yourself Debt Settlement also known as Self Help Debt Settlement is a viable alternative to resolving your debt. The dirty little secret Debt Settlement Companies do not want you to know is: They charge you thousands of dollars for a service that you can accomplish yourself. Hiring a debt settlement company is like hiring someone to tie your shoes.

If you are like millions of Americans, you are searching for solutions to your financial problem. With an unemployment rate of 9.7 percent as of June 2009, many economists are concerned that the current trend could have catastrophic implications on the economy as a whole.
The State by State unemployment rates are even more disturbing.

As of May 2009 twelve States have unemployment rates that exceed 10 percent. Of the twelve States four have unemployment that exceeds 12 percent. These States South Carolina and Rhode Island with 12.1 percent, Oregon with 12.4 percent and of course Michigan with an astounding 14.1 percent unemployment is clearly suffering the most.

The above statistics are not good news for the average consumer who is already experiencing financial difficulties. The outlook through the remainder of 2009 and early 2010 does not look encouraging either. In stating this, if you are already considering debt settlement, the question arises; how do I start negotiating with my creditors directly?

The first step to Self Help Debt Settlement is to research the entire process. There are a myriad of websites devoted to the process of debt negotiation. Most of these websites (In the interest of full disclosure, our website as well) are attempting to sell you something. The majority of these websites provide you with information that was gathered from the internet. Individuals can find all of this information on the internet with just a little research.

The next step is to gather all of your monthly bills together and establish a monthly budget. Make a list of your necessary monthly expenses to include your mortgage or rent, car payments, utilities, Insurance, gasoline, food and other household bills. Take this amount and multiply that sum by 1.2; this will give you an additional 20 percent cushion for unexpected expenses or emergencies. The difference between your total household income and the previously calculated amount is your monthly settlement budget.Start setting this amount aside as your settlement fund, as this fund accumulates use this as your benchmark for amounts you offer your creditors.

At this point you need to make an unyielding commitment to the process. It is essential that you understand that your creditors, in almost every case, will not even discuss settlements if you are currently paying them. Once you stop paying your creditors, the debt settlement process begins. The creditor is going to start escalating their collection processes in an attempt to mitigate their financial losses. Your creditors will start calling you to bring your account current. Do not avoid these phone calls; these calls are your opportunities to advise your creditors of your intentions and initiate the negotiation process.

When you are negotiating settlements with your creditors it is always in your best interest to offer settlements in one lump sum payments. If you have access to immediate cash, this is the best time to use it. Creditors are also experiencing financial difficulties in these trying economic times. If you decide to utilize investments (401k, Stocks, Bonds, IRA's and like investments) to settle your debt, seek the guidance of an experienced accountant first. The question you should ask any accountant is: Will I save money in the long term by utilizing these funds. Remember, your investments at best are generating 10 -12 percent interest. Your creditors are most likely charging you 2 - 2.5 times this amount in interest on your outstanding balance.

Now that we have described the basics, is it any wonder why Debt Settlement Companies are flooding the airwaves (both television and radio) with their commercials. These Settlement companies are preying on your fears and lack of knowledge with commercials that make it sound like they are doing something special. The fact is (as several State Attorney Generals have recently stated) several settlement companies are making promises they cannot, or never intended to keep just to separate you from your money.

The Debt Settlement Industry utilizes the basic method described earlier in this article to settle the majority of debts. The majority of these settlement companies make consumers believe that they utilize "secret programs your creditors don't want you to know about". This and other like minded statements could not be further from the truth.

Debt Settlement Companies make claims that if you make them monthly payments your debt will be resolved with in 24, 36 or 48 months. The payment amount seems to be reasonable to most people. A basic rule of thumb should apply to the above: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! What the debt settlement companies forget to advise their clients (or hide it in the fine print of the contract), is that they take the first several payments to cover their sign up fees.

Most people who enroll with Debt Settlement Companies are under the assumption that the creditors have working relationships with the Debt Settlement Company. This is a false assumption; in point of fact, they have an adversarial relationship at best. This adversarial relationship impedes as well as prolongs the debt negotiation process.

If you have read this article up to this point, you are clearly interested in settling or negotiating your debt. By now you have already started researching how the process of debt settlement works. We would like invite you to visit our website http://www.2settlemydebt.com/ for more information on our services. We have developed a self help debt settlement module that is Patent Pending as to the method utilized. We provide secure internet access to "user specific databases" and preformatted letters that assist individuals in negotiating directly with their creditors. The website also provides the users to choose either debt reduction or debt settlement programs.

Ian Stanton
Director of Marketing
B-EZ Enterprises
(480) 278-3717
email media@2settlemydebt.com
website http://www.2settlemydebt.com/