Question: A friend of mine is disabled. Her only income is her Social Security disability benefits. She got into a lot of credit card debt, and one of the credit cards got a judgement against her in court.
A friend told her that because of her low income, the court might just maybe forgive her debt. Is this true?
And what would happen if other credit cards brought her to court? Can she go to jail because she can’t afford to pay the debt back? God, I hope not. Thank you for your help. We appreciate your kindness and your consideration with this question. Thank you so very very much.
— Dori in New Hampshire
Howard Dvorkin answers…
Getting out of debt isn’t as hard as you think. However, understanding how to get out of debt may be the hardest part. Debt management is a program that can cut your total credit card payments by 30 or even 50 percent by drastically reducing the interest rates. And when you’re done, you emerge with no debt and a great credit score.
With debt settlement, you pay pennies on the dollar of what you actually owe. But your credit score can take a major hit because you’re actually paying less than what you owe. Debt forgiveness means you might pay nothing on your debt, but good luck getting a loan in the future. How do you decide which is best for you? Let Debt.com help you figure it out. Call now for a free debt analysis.
Let’s start at the end because that last question is the easiest to answer: No, you can’t go to jail for unpaid debts. As long as you’re not defrauding your creditors or doing something illegal, trust Debt.com when it says: “No matter what those debt collectors threatened you with, the police won’t be beating down your door.”
If you click that link, you’ll learn that the United States hasn’t imprisoned debtors since the 19th century. It’s no mystery, however, where that fear comes from: Unscrupulous debt collectors either imply it or come right out and threaten it. In 2013, the last year Debt.com could find statistics, the federal government recorded more than 16,000 complaints that “collectors falsely threatened to arrest the consumer or seize their property for refusal of payment.”
With that out of the way, let’s talk about your friend’s debts.
Yes, it’s possible your friend could have her debt wiped clean. It’s called debt forgiveness, and it’s a powerful weapon. However, like all powerful weapons, it can injure more than just the target you aim at. That’s why Debt.com has a report called, A Realist’s Guide to Credit Card Debt Forgiveness.
I urge you and your friend to read it because debt forgiveness has gotten a bad name lately. Why? Because bad people are advertising that they can clear all your debts with forgiveness — and don’t worry, there’s absolutely no downside! It’s amazing and only we know how to do it!
Of course, you’ll end up paying these middlemen a hefty fee for shoddy service, and you might even end up worse than before you contacted them. Think of it this way: Would you pay hundreds of dollars to someone promising a guaranteed weight-loss plan that lets you eat as many cupcakes and potato chips as you want, with absolutely no downside?
If you want a serious diet plan, you should consult your doctor first. If you want a serious debt plan, you also need to consult a professional. I recommend calling a certified credit counselor at a nonprofit credit counseling agency, where your friend can receive a free debt analysis. From there, all the options can be explored, from a debt management plan to bankruptcy.
If you don’t know which nonprofit agency to contact, Debt.com can introduce you to a reputable one. Bottom line, Dori: Your friend doesn’t have to go through it alone.
