If you are behind on your bills and are being hounded by your creditors, the experience can be unsettling.  Many people are curious as to how long it takes for their past due accounts to be turned over to a third party collections company or collection agency.

It Can Take 90-120 Day For Your Account To Go Into Collections Continue Reading »

What will happen if I stop paying my bills? It is important to know what will happen if you are unable to pay your monthly debt obligations. The first 30 day late that you have your credit score is going to drop like a rock. I have seen credit scores drop as much as 100 points just for one 30 day late. Your interest rates will probably go up as well. You credit card contract has a provision call the universal default rate. This is the rate they can charge you when you do not make a payment. Continue Reading »

When can a creditor call me? I think that most consumers believe that a collection agency cannot make calls to try and collect a debt on Sunday. A creditor is allowed to call you on Sunday. The provision that allows calls to be made on Sunday is spelled out in the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.

Can a creditor call me on Sunday if the debt is with a collection agency?

If the debt is still with the original creditor they can definitely still call. Even if the debt is with a collection agency they can call from 8am to 9pm. If the collector calls outside of these times, they could be in violation of the fdcpa or Fair Debt Collection Act.

How do I stop credit harassment? The FDCPA or Fair Debt Collections Practices Act has strict rules about what collection agencies are allowed to do when trying to collect on a past due debt. Debt Collectors could try and have you pay a debt that you do not owe or are beyond the statute of limitations of debt collection. Continue Reading »

How do bill collectors operate? Debt Collection companies work on behalf of a creditor who wishes to collect on a delinquent debt. Typically the original creditor does not have the time or resources to go after delinquent credit accounts. Collection Agencies are specialists in the world of debt collection. They have the people and resources that specialize in collecting debt. Continue Reading »

Does paying off collections help my fico score? Having open collection accounts can do major damage to your credit score. Just one collection account can drop your credit score over 100 points. This can be the difference between buying a home or not buying a home. Having bad credit will limit the types of credit that you can get as well as the interest rates that you will get. As you can image, having unpaid collections on your credit report can put you in a higher credit risk category. This would most likely cause you to get higher interest rates when you apply for credit. Continue Reading »