Collections items and items in default are some of the most impactful negative (or derogatory) items on your credit report. Having just one of these can bring your score down dramatically.
When items move into collections, that’s bad news bears: items in collections can no longer be paid to the lender. In this situation, you will need to negotiate with the lender to avoid the item going into collections.
For items in default, it’s ideal to settle for an agreeable amount or set up a payment plan with the lender. However, some lenders will not accept it unless it is paid in full. For issues like these, it may be helpful to hire a debt relief company to negotiate on your behalf.
Items in collections often stay on your credit report, even if you’re paying them down. With collections items, it can be best to settle with the debt collector with the agreement that it will be reflected on your credit report as an item no longer in collections.
Ideally, you would have the debt collector settle while removing the item from your credit report. However, there are other arrangements. Learn more about items in collections here!
Part 3 in another blog