Given the large amounts of unsecured debt that they are carrying, many consumers find themselves in a position where they need to make a choice among the many debt solutions available. For those with serious debt problems, the most likely choices are bankruptcy, debt settlement or debt management.
Debt management is the least aggressive and severe of the options, while debt settlement is more aggressive and will eliminate your debt quicker but also impacts your credit score. Bankruptcy is the most extreme approach and has the most severe and long-lasting impact on your credit, and thus should only be considered as a last resort. One should consider this only if it is apparent that the other solutions will not be sufficient to get rid of the overwhelming debt. Each debt relief option has its advantages and disadvantages and really depends on the specific situation and amount of debt.
The least extreme choice is debt management and will be effective for indebted consumers whose debts are still nearly manageable. With some moderate help, these consumers will be able to make headway towards paying down their debt. Debt settlement on the other hand is reserved for more severe debt problems and is a common approach for debt crises that fall just short of bankruptcy.
An indebted consumer can examine some specifics to determine which debt relief option is suitable for them. Let’s look at some characteristics of a situation that would seem to be best handled through debt management:
* The debt is not too overwhelming and is manageable, but it is still piling up
* All the different payments and due dates are becoming difficult to organize and handle each month
* You would greatly benefit from some moderate help with your interest rates
In contrast, here are some of the typical scenarios that are best handled by debt settlement:
* You’re paying only the minimum monthly amounts on your high interest rate accounts
* Significantly reduced monthly payments are necessary for you to make any progress, as the current payments are just too expensive
Another factor to consider in analyzing the choice among debt solutions is to consider the amount and length of damage to your credit that will likely result. Debt settlement will do more severe damage to your credit, but it’s normally of significantly shorter duration. Bankruptcy, however, will do severe credit score damage that may last 7 to 10 years, or possibly even longer.
Author excerpt: Jackson Roberts is a senior debt analyst and has been helping consumers with credit card debt relief for over 10 years. He aims to educate indebted consumers about the various credit card debt solutions available.
