Can You Tell a Debt Collector to Stop Calling You?
You know that you’re in debt, and it’s possibly even a result of financial mistakes you’ve made in the past. You’re working hard to pay off what you owe, but you can’t pay it all at once. The constant calls from debt collection agencies don’t do anything to change this fact. Can you tell a debt collector to stop calling? Actually, yes! The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act helps protect people just like you from predatory debt collectors when you’ve missed bill payments and gotten yourself too far into debt. One thing it covers is debt collector harassment and intimidation. Calling too often is debt collector harassment. No matter how many times they call, when they call you, or where they call you, you are legally allowed to tell them to stop. Yes, you can do this even if they’re following all of the rules but you simply don’t want to hear from them anymore. It’s time you learn everything you need to know to make debt collectors stop calling you! How to Get a Debt Collector to Stop Calling They’re calling you several times a day, even calling you at night. You have a right to tell the debt collector to stop calling you. If you follow all of the rules, they have to comply! You must do this in writing in order for it to be legally binding. If you tell a debt collector in writing to stop contacting you, it may not contact you again except to say there will be no further contact or to notify you that your creditor may take some specific action it is legally allowed to take, such as filing a lawsuit against you. Remember, even if they stop calling that doesn’t mean the ordeal is over. Your creditor may still file a lawsuit against you or make a negative report to a consumer reporting company. In your letter, you’re going to be as specific as possible about who they are, who you are, which debt they’re talking about, and the fact that you don’t want them contacting you any more. They have to stop calling you after this. If they don’t, they’re either breaking the law or scamming you. If you’re having trouble with debt collection, you can submit a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372). They also have sample letters you can use as a template to prepare your official letter telling the debt collector to stop calling. Contact Safe Credit Solutions You don’t have to handle this alone. Here at Safe Credit Solutions, we can help you deal with debt collector harassment. This is just one of the services we offer. We can also work with you to improve your credit score so your financial situation is much better than you ever thought it could be. We are only a phone call...
read moreHow Many Calls From a Debt Collector is Considered Harassment?
When you’re in debt, the most important thing to do is learn how to deal with debt collectors as you work on repayment. Remember, when a debt collector calls you to collect on debt you owe, you have legal rights. The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act helps protect people just like you from predatory debt collectors when you’ve missed bill payments. One thing it covers is debt collector harassment and intimidation. Even if they are nice when they call, calling too often is debt collector harassment in and of itself. This leads to the question, how many calls from a debt collector is considered harassment? When do Repeated Calls Become Debt Collector Harassment? As briefly stated above, debt collectors are not allowed to do and say whatever they want. According to the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau, the law doesn’t give a specific limit on the number of times a debt collector can call you. What it does say, however, is that debt collectors may not call you repeatedly or continuously intending to annoy, abuse, or harass you or others who share the number. It isn’t only about how many times they are calling, but also when. Debt collectors cannot call you at an unusual time, or at a lace they know is inconvenient to you, like work. They are prohibited from contacting you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. As well, you do have a right to tell the debt collector to stop calling you. You must do this in writing in order for it to be legally binding. If you tell a debt collector in writing to stop contacting you, it may not contact you again except to say there will be no further contact or to notify you that your creditor may take some specific action it is legally allowed to take, such as filing a lawsuit against you. Remember, even if they stop calling that doesn’t mean the ordeal is over. Your creditor may still file a lawsuit against you or make a negative report to a consumer reporting company. Safe Credit Solutions can Help You Deal with Debt Collector HarassmentYou don’t want to stay in debt, but you’re struggling to pay it all back. What can you do? Safe Credit Solutions can help you! Our credit consultant will go over your current financial debt profile and help you to determine the best way to improve your credit. As you’re working your way out of debt, the harassing phone calls will begin to fade away. If they don’t, we can also help you deal with debt collector harassment. No matter what you’re going through and how far in debt you are, we’re here for...
read more3 Things You Should Never Say To A Debt Collector
No one wants to be in debt. It can feel overwhelming when you aren’t sure of the way out. Right now, the most important thing to do is learn how to deal with debt collectors. Remember, when a debt collector calls you to collect on debt you owe, you have legal rights. No matter what you owe and how far behind you are, there are ways for you to make a bad situation a little better. The truth is that there are also ways to make a bad situation worse! Yes, there are things you should never, ever say to a debt collector. If you do, you’re going to take this situation into even more upsetting and legally-damaging territory. We don’t want this to happen to you! Safe Credit Solutions is here to help you avoid making this any worse than it already is. What You Should Never Say To A Debt Collector The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act helps protect people just like you from predatory debt collectors when you’ve missed a bill payment. Knowing what and what not to say is a good way to stay within your rights. When on the phone, never: #1 Offer up any type of personal information. While on the phone with a debt collector, you are going to want to share as little about yourself, your home, your family, your job, and your financial situation as possible. Never tell them your social security number or banking information. Don’t share with them where you work, when you work, or how much you’re making right now. The more they know about you, the more they can harass you. #2 Admit the debt is yours. Even if you know exactly what they are talking about, never admit it is your debt. Just like most legal actions, debt has a statute of limitations. If the statute of limitations has expired, the debt collector can no longer sue you to recoup the debt. Admitting a debt is yours may reset the clock on old debt. This is why it is never a good idea to do so, just in case. #3 Provide ammunition. It would be a big mistake to tell the debt collector that you spent the payment money on gambling, travel, gifts, shopping, or some other non-essential reason. The only information you need to provide is that you know your responsibilities but that you have encountered an unanticipated situation. Safe Credit Solutions can Help You Deal with Debt Collectors You don’t want to stay in debt, but you’re struggling to pay it all back. What can you do? Safe Credit Solutions is here to help you! Right now, it’s essential to learn how to handle that debt efficiently. We have a team of professionals here to help you to keep up with financial obligations and make sure that you pay your debts off as quickly as possible. Making a mistake now is going to further hurt your credit report and make it harder to get essential financial loans and lines of credit ranking in the future. Our credit consultant will go over your current financial debt profile and help you to determine the best way to improve your credit. Make the call...
read moreWhat Happens to Your Unpaid Debt?
Did you know that some forms of debt don’t follow you around forever? If the statute of limitations has expired, the debt collector can no longer sue you to recoup the debt. But when does this happen? What happens to it when it does expire? And most importantly, will all debts expire? Safe Credit Solutions has the team of debt relief and credit repairs experts able to answer all of these questions and more. What happens to unpaid debt? Finding yourself unable to pay off a lot of debt can be one of the scarier situations in life. One reason it is so overwhelming is because it’s easy to feel like you’ll be stuck in debt forever. This debt will follow you around for the rest of your life. Your credit will be in shambles and you’ll never be able to get approved for new loans. Not so fast! Realistically, here’s what you can expect if you don’t pay your debts: Your debt will go to a collection agency.Debt collectors will contact you.Your credit score will fall.Your debt will follow you around for years.You’ll pay off the debt or not, but either way your life will go on. It’s important to keep in mind that there is a big difference between a $50 unpaid phone bill debt and a $50,000 credit card bill debt. It may be that an unpaid debt of $50 doesn’t cause you much grief. Other than your credit score going down for a while, maybe nothing happens other than a few dozen phone calls. That’s not likely to occur with a $50,000 debt, though. If you are late with a debt payment of this size, at some point you could be sued by the person to whom you owe the money. You will receive notice of a court date. If you don’t show up, you automatically lose the case. At this point, your wages will be garnished at 25% out of every paycheck. A lien can also be put on your home or car. There is a statute of limitations on credit card debt. It varies by state, but it’s generally three to 10 years. Your credit score takes a huge hit too. How long a collection stays on your credit report depends on the type of loan you have. Most of them stick around for seven years. Chapter 7 bankruptcies will show up for 10 years. Unpaid student loans and taxes may stay forever! It’s a little trickier than simply waiting for it to fall off your credit report. Your debt isn’t simply erased once it falls off your credit reports. If you never paid off the debt and the creditor is within the statute of limitations, they may try to collect the money. The creditor can still contact you, sue you, or get a court order to garnish your wages. This is why it’s best to work with our team to lower your debts and repair your credit, not simply hope, pray, and wait for it to go away. Ignoring debt only makes it worse, not...
read moreHow to Deal with Debt Collectors When You Can’t Pay
No one wants to be in debt. No matter the reason you find yourself in this situation, it can feel overwhelming when you aren’t sure of the way out. You don’t want to stay in debt, but you’re struggling to pay it all back. What can you do? Right now, the most important thing to do is learn how to deal with debt collectors. One of the most important things you need to know when a debt collector calls you is that you have legal rights. No matter what you owe and how far behind you are, they are not allowed to harass and intimidate you. There are ways for you to make a bad situation a little better. How to Deal with Debt Collectors When You Can’t Pay Whether you’re a little short this month or seriously behind on payments, it is best you act quickly to minimize the damage of having debt you can’t afford. At this point, you don’t have a lot of great options but there are a few things you should do and a few things you should not do (even though you probably want to!) DO Ask for specific information about the debt Without admitting the debt is yours, get information from the debt collector. Ask who the original creditor was, the original debt amount, and how much is still owed. The more details the debt collector can provide, the better. Try settling or negotiating Now is the time to see if the debt collector will settle for a portion of the cost if you pay up front. They may decide that some money is better than no money. If they still want the full amount due, you may be able to set up a payment plan. DO NOT Ignore the repeated attempts to contact you Ignoring a debt collector when a debt is yours can cause further damage to your credit score and report. Plus, it won’t work anyway. Debt collectors will continue to contact you until the debt is paid. Admit the debt is yours Did you notice above that we told you not to admit it is your debt? If the statute of limitations has expired, the debt collector can no longer sue you to recoup the debt. Admitting a debt is yours may reset the clock on old debt. This is why it is never a good idea to do so, even if you know the debt is yours. Give personal details over the phone Even if you’re nervous and they’re being pushy, avoid excessive talking. Don’t share anything over the phone, including if you can pay and how you plan to. Instead, request a letter with the original debt information. Share as little about yourself, your home, your family, your job, and your financial situation as possible. We know this is scary, confusing, and difficult. We’re here to help you! At this point, it’s essential to learn how to handle that debt efficiently. We have a team of professionals here to help you to keep up with financial obligations and make sure that you pay your debts off as quickly as possible. If you ignore the calls and don’t negotiate a payment plan, it is going to hurt your credit report and make it harder to get essential...
read moreIs There a Limit to How Many Times a Debt Collector Can call me?
You know you have debt to pay back. You’re trying, but it’s taking longer than you had expected. With your regular bills, like your rent, car payment, insurance, food, gas, and other utilities, it feels impossible to set anything aside to pay down your debt. You’re trying, but the extra money just isn’t there. The company or companies you owe money to don’t seem to understand this, or at least not care. They keep calling…and calling…and calling… and calling. Do you feel you’re being harassed? Is there a limit to how many times a debt collector can call you? It’s time you learn more about the protections for you built into the law. How many times can a debt collector call me? First, one of the most important things you need to know when a debt collector calls you is that you have legal rights. Debt collecting agents must not use improper methods or any form of harassment when contacting you. This means debt collectors agents are not allowed to use abusive language or intimidate you with physical violence. The FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) was approved in 1977 with the aim of eliminating abusive debt collection practices. Are you getting harassing calls from a debt collector at home or at work ? Are you receiving many calls per day from the same collector? Are debt collectors filling your voicemail box and calling at all hours of the day? You don’t have to put up with harassing calls. Some of these calls are illegal! Federal law doesn’t give a specific limit on the number of calls a debt collector can place to you. However, a debt collector may not call you repeatedly or continuously intending to annoy, abuse, or harass you. A debt collector can’t call you about your consumer debt at an unusual or inconvenient time. If a debt collector calls you before 8 a.m. in the morning or after 9 p.m. at night, it’s presumed to be inconvenient. You do have a right to tell the debt collector to stop calling you. Debt management with Safe Credit Solutions Once you are already in debt, it’s essential to learn how to handle that debt efficiently. We have a team of professionals here to help you to keep up with financial obligations and make sure that you pay your debts off as quickly as possible. If you can’t keep up with paying it off, it is going to hurt your credit report and make it harder to get essential financial loans and lines of credit ranking in the future. Our credit consultant will go over your current financial debt profile and help you to determine the best way to take care of it. They will teach you abilities like handling interest rates, combining financial debt that you can not afford to make the payments on, and setting up a paying back schedule that you can handle. This is just one of the services we offer. If you feel you’re being harassed and called more often than you should be, we can help with that...
read more3 Credit Hacks That Will Change Your Life
If you spend much time on the internet, you’ll probably find a lot of life hacks. Did you know you can use a paperclip to easily mark the end of a tape roll? Did you know you can use chopsticks to avoid orange fingers while eating cheetos? While these are pretty cool, they’re not going to have as huge an effect on your life the way a credit hack will. No matter how daunting it may seem, it is absolutely possible to build, repair, and boost your credit scores. Anyone can have good credit, even you! In fact, it’s actually a lot more straightforward than you might think. You can be amazed how a good credit score helps you to improve your financial status and change your life. Here are a few credit hacks you should be aware of that won’t just give your scores a boost, they’ll change your entire life! #1 Keep at Least Three Major Credit Cards By far, one of the best ways that you can repair your credit involves keeping several major credit cards open at all times. You may worry that having too many cards at once will hurt your credit. Actually, the opposite is true and you want several lines of open credit. As long as you make payments on time and avoid falling too far into debt, it is considered a good thing to have three or even four credit cards. Making three payments on-time every month will always raise your credit faster than a single payment to one card. #2 Understand “Credit Utilization” As you open more than one credit card, you’ll want to pay close attention to your credit utilization. This term refers to the percentage of your total credit that you are currently using on a regular basis. You want to use some of your total line of credit, but not all of it. For the biggest impact on your credit score, try to keep the total of all of your balances around 25% to 30% for as long as you can. #3 Increase Your Credit Limits as Much as Possible Let’s say you really need to put $5,000 on a credit card, but the limit of the card is the same $5,000. You’ve now maxed out your credit limit, and your score is going to take a hit. Before you put the $5,000 on, you could request a request limit increase. The higher your credit limits are, the lower your utilization actually is. So if you have a card with $20,000 in available credit and a $5,000 balance, you’re using 25% of your available credit. Suddenly, that $5,000 balance only represents a fraction of what you could be spending. It’s a great way to practice credit repair without really doing much of anything at all. For any and all credit repair needs, Safe Credit Solutions can help. We encourage you to look into our available services, including debt management and credit repair. With a few credit hacks and our expert help along the way, you’ll be enjoying good credit before you know...
read more6 Important Credit-Related Questions to Ask Yourself
Being an adult means dealing with very important financial-related topics. Understanding concepts like debt and credit are essential to a happy life and bright future. Do you know everything you should? Let’s begin by asking yourself a few questions. Can I earn a credit score without a credit history? For some reason, no credit is the same thing as bad credit! Consumers with no history can build credit in several ways. You can do this by getting a secured credit card, asking a family member to add you as a credit user, or getting a cosigned loan for a new car or credit card. Will bad credit affect a job application? Yes, and no. It is technically legal, though thankfully it doesn’t happen very often. The only time bad credit might affect a job application is if the job has fiduciary responsibilities. For a job like an accountant, a poor credit score may suggest you do not have the money management skills needed. Can collection agencies collect on my old debt? Each state has a law referred to as a statute of limitations that spells out the time period during which a creditor or collector may sue borrowers to collect debts. In most states, they run between four and six years after the last payment was made on the debt. If you make a new payment, the timeline begins again! Do too many cards hurt my credit? Actually, you want several lines of open credit. As long as you make payments on time and avoid falling too far into debt, it is considered a good thing to have two, three, or even four credit cards. Does bankruptcy affect my credit forever? Declaring bankruptcy can feel like a weight you’ll never truly break free from. We are happy to tell you that this is not the case. Be patient! Declaring bankruptcy does harm credit as it remains on your credit report for seven years. You’ll need to focus on credit repair. It takes time but can be done, and with great success. How can I avoid debt? This may seem impossible, but it is not. One of the most essential abilities to have for money management is cost control. Budgeting is learning to put cash aside for significant things first and then spending the rest smartly. Debt is not necessary and with proper money management techniques, you can avoid most forms of financial debt. A credit guidance support service can educate you how to handle your cash better and create the most of what you have. Understanding how to build, rebuild, or maintain a strong credit standing often means asking yourself a lot of questions. You want to be as knowledgeable as possible so you don’t make any major mistakes you’ll end up paying for for years to come. To help arm yourself with education, boost your credit standing, or determine if you need credit repair, these are all important credit-related questions to answer.We hope this list has helped! If you now see that you need additional credit repair services, Safe Credit Solutions is here to make that possible! We offer these credit services so that clients with bad credits or bad debts can properly handle their debt and credit. You can be amazed how a good credit score helps...
read moreWhat to do When a Debt Collection Agency Knocks on Your Door
In a perfect world, your home is your private place of peace and sanctuary. If you owe debt to a lender, though, this privacy is shattered. Phone calls become more frequent and then one day, debt collectors actually start coming to your home! This is truly a nightmare. What can you do? Is this legal? We’ll answer these questions, and more, right now. Can They Come to Your Home? To address your first question, yes. Debt collectors can show up in person where you live. That being said, federal laws say they can’t do any of this: Force you to answer the doorEnter your home without your permissionTake anything off your propertyTell your neighbors about your debtImpersonate law enforcementBroadcast your debt problems to the neighborhoodPost flyers about your bad debtThreaten to or actually do any physical harm to youHarass or humiliate you into payingRefuse to leave There’s essentially no reason for them to come to your home, because there’s nothing they can do in person that they couldn’t do over the phone. They do sometimes try this tactic, though. Why? Because it is scary, so it works! This is what they can and cannot do, but what about you? What can you do? Know Your Rights First, one of the most important things you can and should do when a debt collector comes to your home is to know that you have legal rights. If a debt collector contacts you, either in person or over the phone, make sure you ask for basic information, like the name of the debt collection company they are representing and a written notice of your debt. Remember, debt collecting agents must not use improper methods or any form of harassment when contacting you. This means debt collectors agents are not allowed to use abusive language, to humiliate you in front of your neighborhood, or intimidate you with physical violence. If you feel your rights are being violated, or if you simply don’t want them on your property, tell the debt collector to leave immediately. They must comply with this request. Repossessions Please note that property repossession and debt collection are two entirely different things, even though they both deal with a debt being owed. In this case, the lender or property title holder is legally within their right to take your property. For instance, they can repossess your car if you don’t pay your monthly loan payments. If you bought furniture with a credit card and never paid the bill, they can come and take “their” furniture from you. This is not the same thing as debt collection, in a legal sense. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act limits and prohibits many actions, but it actually doesn’t have any provision that prohibits a collector from knocking on your door in an attempt to collect a payment. Having this happen to you is often a wake up call that it’s time to get your debt situation under control and credit fixed once and for all. Safe Credit Solutions is here to make that...
read moreA Few Important Do’s & Don’ts of Credit Repair
You may have gotten into some financial trouble in the past but that is all behind you now. You know your future depends on repairing your credit. Of course for many people, credit repair is easier said than done. You may have easily gotten into poor credit, but you don’t know how to work your way out of it. Do not worry! Safe Credit Solutions is here to help. With this in mind, we want to better inform you of a few do’s and don’ts of credit repair. When you follow this advice, you will be out of poor credit before you know it! DO… … Check Your Credit Report The only way to know for sure what your credit score is and why it is that is to look at your credit report. Many people with poor credit avoid doing this because they don’t want to see the bad news. Other people can see it, and you need to know what it is in it! …Take Proper Steps to Repair Your Credit Once you have your credit report, you can take the necessary steps to improve it. We offer services to help you with this, including credit guidance and debt payment plans. You will make a list of the debts you own and your current per month expenses. We work with you to put together a budget you can follow. Then, we contact your creditors and perform out a low interest rate for your expenses. … Realize this will take time It is easy in your position to get frustrated and feel impatient. Be patient! Keep in mind that it took some time to build the debt amount that you currently have, and it will also take some time to pay it all off. Repaired credit doesn’t happen overnight, however, a commitment to a feasible plan will make it happen. DON’T… … Ignore Bills We know it can be tempting to simply ignore bills you know you can’t pay. This doesn’t help the situation! It may be possible to budget monthly payments. If your financial situation prevents you from doing so, you can still contact them to see if you can go on a longer payment plan or other arrangement. Many will work with you if and only if you communicate open and honestly with them. … Close All Credit Card Accounts Too often, people seeking to pay down debt will close credit cards in order to not be tempted to use them. This can actually negatively impact your credit score! It messes up your debt to open credit ratio. Instead of closing the accounts, continue to pay your down debt and put the cards out of sight and out of mind. If you need more help than this quick list, you can always contact us and we will be on your...
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