Debt Management

Credit counseling provides consumers who may feel overburdened by debt with guidance on consumer credit, money management, debt management, and budgeting. The goal of most credit counseling is to help a debtor avoid bankruptcy if they find themselves struggling with debt repayment. Many counseling services will negotiate with creditors on the borrower’s behalf to reduce credit card and loan interest rates and waive late fees.

A debt management plan is a tailored strategy to help you repay outstanding debt and financial obligations without using a new loan. Typically, credit counseling agencies work with creditors on your behalf to determine a debt management plan that fits your financial circumstances.

Bankruptcy is a legal proceeding initiated when a person or business is unable to repay outstanding debts or obligations. The bankruptcy process begins with a petition filed by the debtor, which is most common, or on behalf of creditors, which is less common. All of the debtor's assets are measured and evaluated, and the assets may be used to repay a portion of the outstanding debt.

Debt consolidation refers to taking out a new loan or credit card to pay off other existing loans or credit cards. By combining multiple debts into a single, larger loan, you may also be able to obtain more favorable payoff terms, such as a lower interest rate, lower monthly payments, or both.

A debt collection agency is a company that plays a role between collecting customers’ delinquent debts—debts that are at least 60 days past due—and remitting them to the original creditor. Debt collectors often work for debt collection agencies, though some operate independently. Some are also attorneys.

Debt discharge is the cancellation of a debt due to bankruptcy. When a debt is discharged, the debtor is no longer liable for the debt and the lender is no longer allowed to make attempts to collect the debt. Debt discharge can result in taxable income to the debtor unless certain IRS conditions are met.

A debt avalanche is a type of debt repayment plan where you first make the minimum payment on each source of debt, then devote any remaining repayment funds to the debt with the highest interest rate. Once the debt with the highest interest rate is paid off, any extra money goes toward the next-highest interest-bearing debt. This continues until all debts are paid off.

The debt snowball method is a type of debt repayment plan where you first focus on paying down your smallest debt, while paying the minimum on all others. Once the smallest debt is paid off, you move on to devoting extra funds to the next smallest debt, until all debts are paid off.

Debt settlement companies work with your creditors to bargain your current debt down to a level that you can afford, but they charge fees to handle the negotiations on your behalf. While you may owe less to your creditors, those fees can eat into your relief.