Guides
Guides
Plain-language help with debt collectors, creditors, settlement, taxes and your rights, whether or not you ever call us. Every guide cites its sources.
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Debt collectors
Who is calling you, why, and what the law says they can and cannot do.
- Debt collectorMidland Credit ManagementWho Midland Credit Management is, why it may be contacting you, your rights under federal law, and your options, including settling the account for less.
- Debt collectorLVNV FundingWho LVNV Funding is, why it says you owe it when you never borrowed from it, your rights, what to do if it sues, and whether the account can be settled.
- Debt collectorPortfolio Recovery AssociatesWho Portfolio Recovery Associates is, what the CFPB found in 2015 and 2023, your rights, what to do if PRA sues you, and how settling the account works.
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Debt settlement, explained
How it works, what it costs, what can go wrong, your taxes, and who qualifies.
- GuideDebt settlementHow debt settlement works, what it costs in dollars, how long it takes and what can go wrong, explained plainly before you talk to anyone at all.
- GuideHow debt settlement worksHow debt settlement works, step by step: the free call, the account in your name, the negotiations, and the approval you give before every payment.
- GuideDebt settlement feesDebt settlement fees explained: what the fee is based on, when federal law lets a company charge it, a worked example in dollars and other costs to ask about.
- GuideDebt settlement risks and credit impactYes, debt settlement hurts your credit. How late payments, charge-offs, collection calls, lawsuits and growing balances work, and how credit recovers after.
- GuideTaxes on settled debtSettled debt is usually taxable income. When a creditor sends Form 1099-C, how the insolvency exclusion and Form 982 work, and how to plan for the tax bill.
- GuideHow to qualify for debt settlementHow to qualify for debt settlement: the minimum debt, which debts are eligible, what counts as a hardship, where we enroll, and what happens on the first call.
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Compare your options
Settlement next to loans, debt management plans and bankruptcy, including when the others fit better.
- CompareCompare debt relief optionsDebt settlement, consolidation loans, debt management plans and bankruptcy side by side, including where the other options are the better choice for you.
- CompareDebt settlement vs debt consolidationDebt settlement against a debt consolidation loan: what each one costs, how long it takes, what it does to your credit, and who each one fits best.
- CompareDebt settlement vs a debt management planA nonprofit debt management plan vs debt settlement: how each works, what it costs, what it does to your credit, and when the plan is the better choice.
- CompareDebt settlement vs bankruptcyDebt settlement vs Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy: cost, time, credit impact, what you keep, the means test, and when bankruptcy is the better choice.
- CompareHow to vet a debt relief companyHow to choose a debt relief company: the FTC and CFPB red flags, the questions to ask, and how to check state registration and complaints before you sign.
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Business debt
Merchant cash advances, SBA-backed loans, business cards, personal guarantees and closing down.
- BusinessBusiness debt reliefDebt relief for business owners squeezed by merchant cash advances, SBA loans, business cards and personal guarantees. How negotiation works, and its limits.
- BusinessMerchant cash advance debt reliefMerchant cash advance debt relief: stacking, daily debits, reconciliation, default triggers, confessions of judgment, how negotiating with MCA funders works.
- BusinessThe UCC 9-406 noticeWhat a UCC 9-406 notice is, why MCA funders send one to your customers, when a notice may not be valid, and the steps a business can take after one goes out.
- BusinessSBA loan defaultWhat happens when an SBA 7(a) loan or COVID EIDL defaults: Treasury referral and offset, hardship options, offers in compromise, and what owners can do early.
- BusinessPersonal guarantees on business debtWhat a personal guarantee on business debt exposes, why it survives a closing or bankruptcy, and how to get guarantors released in writing when you settle.
- BusinessBusiness credit card debtWho is liable for a business credit card, why most consumer card rules do not apply, and your options when the business cannot pay: hardship plans or settling.
- BusinessClosing a business with debtWhat happens to loans, leases, cards and cash advances when a business closes owing money, why payroll taxes come first, and how Chapter 7 and 11 compare.
- BusinessCash-flow consultingCash-flow consulting for small businesses carrying debt: what the review looks at, why it comes before any negotiation, what it will not do, and free options.
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Calculators
Run the numbers yourself. No email, no phone number.
- CalculatorDebt settlement savings estimatorAn illustrative debt settlement estimate: the settled range, the fee as its own line, the program length and the monthly deposit, with every assumption shown.
- CalculatorsDebt relief calculatorsA free debt relief calculator with no email or phone number required: an illustrative settlement range, the fee in dollars, and the monthly deposit.
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For your situation
Guides for settling with your card issuer, and for veterans and military families.
- CreditorSettling with your card issuerHow settling a credit card with the card issuer works: charge-off timing, when an account is sold to a debt buyer, what to get in writing, and taxes.
- For youDebt help for veterans and military familiesDebt relief for veterans and military families: the SCRA 6% cap, Military Lending Act limits, who handles VA debt, free help, and when settlement may fit.
Next step
Rather talk it through?
A real person picks up the phone. Or check your state and see an illustrative estimate first.
Four short steps
Your estimate first. Contact details last.
- 1How much you owea close guess is fine
- 2What kinds of debtpick all that apply
- 3Which state you live inchecked before anything else
- 4Your estimate, then a real person if you want one