Alternative Resources for your debtors to obtain funds

After going through the usual talk-off when you debtor states no money, or can’t get blood from a stone, or whatever. Try these possible suggestions to get them to come up with the funds before eom:

1. Family & Friends. This source is often overlooked. If you can get a debtor to go to a family or friend for help and setup a payment plan with them, you can usually get the whole balance or settlemen at once.

2. Credit cards/Secured credit cards. Some credit card companies specialize in consumers with financial problems or poor credit histories. Consumers should shop around and not assume they do not qualify for a credit card. Secured credit cards are another option. A secured card is basically a credit card tied to a savings account ($500 for example). The card’s credit line is the amount deposited in the savings account. The funds of the account “secure” the amounts charged on the card. Once a consumer has successfully used the secured card for 6 months – 1 year, they can then qualify for a regular unsecured credit card.
3. Advances from employers. Many employers will grant paycheck advances to employees. Because this is a true advance, and not a loan, it obviously is a better alternative than payday lenders.
4. Credit unions. Credit unions offer small, short-term loans to their members. Many more consumers can join credit unions now that affiliation requirements are less strict.
5. Overdraft protection. Most banks offer checking accounts with overdraft protection. Payday lenders claim their fees are lower than paying bounced check fees, but a better alternative is to prevent bounced check fees in the first place.
6. Lines of credit from finance lenders. Finance lenders such as Household offer small lines of credit to consumers with less than perfect credit histories. These credit lines range from $2,000-$5,000 with interest rates from 25-35% APR.

3 Major Credit Bureaus

Refer to debtors to check their credit for the debt you’re trying to get them to pay and/or give them following info as a courtesy when they pay off their debts. In my experience, individuals can clear bad marks from the credit bureaus faster than the creditor by submitting settled or paid in full letters to each of the 3 major credit bureaus. Here are the 3 major credit bureaus and their contact info.

Experian

P. O. Box 9595 [see note], Allen, TX 75013-9595   Tel:  888-397-3742

note: Experian has a long history of changing their mailing addresses periodically, so check on their main website before you send them the the letter and statement.

Equifax

P. O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241  Tel:  800-685-1111

Trans Union

P. O. Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022  Tel:  800-888-4213