What Happens If I Don’t Pay My Credit Card Bills?

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:50:52 +0000

When facing amassing credit card debt, it is not uncommon for many individuals to ask “Why pay my credit card bills?” Granted, while this option is there and it may give you some extra cash for a few months, here are a few of the major repercussions you might be facing should you decide to go delinquent on your monthly payments:

1. Creditor/Collection Calls:

This might be the worst part of a delinquent debt-the constant calls from creditors demanding their money. Collectors have been known to call 8-10 times a day, at home, at work, on your cell phone. And these are the ones who follow the rules. Creditors have been reported to speak to bosses, neighbors, and family members (which of course is illegal). Once they get you on the phone they can be even worse. They use a number of psychological techniques to demean you and force you to give them checking account numbers or other bank information. In other words, they will do anything they can to make you pay. (Please keep in mind that your rights are protected by the Federal Trade Commission. To find out more information, please consult the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.)

2. Damaged Credit Score:

Creditors will begin to report missed payments to credit bureaus which will inevitability have an affect on your credit score. These marks can be removed once a settlement is reached or payments are made.

3. Interest/Late Fees/Over-the-limit fees:

Not paying does not mean that interest will stop accruing. Once you go delinquent, many creditors will immediately raise your interest rate to the highest possible interest rate, about 30%. In addition, they will charge late fee penalties ranging between $30-50, and if your balance exceeds the credit limit, they are more than happy to tack on over-the-limit fees.

4. Legal Action:

Eventually, if a debt becomes very delinquent, a creditor may opt to take legal action which can result in liens, garnished wages, or other legal judgements requiring you to pay your debt. However, this is typically a long and complicated process that companies would like to avoid. Nevertheless, it does happen.

If you are considering not paying your credit card bills, it may be the perfect time to considering professional help. There are a number of financial companies that can help you find a Credit Card Debt Relief solution to your financial dilemmas. Why wait? Contact one today, as the first step in finding a solution to your economical problems is usually asking for help.

By: Scott Wallitsch

Not Paying Your Credit Card Bills

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:06:43 +0000

A lot of people when faced with mounting debt will ask “Should I pay my credit card bills?” Yes it will give you some temporary relief and extra money in the short term but can have damaging consequences down the long road.

When you first go delinquent it is very common that you will receive constant calls from creditors wanting you to pay what you owe them. They will hound you calling 10 or even in some cases 12 times a day. They can usually find out your cell phone and work numbers, even in severe cases they will contact distant family members, which is against the law for them to do. Now if they are lucky enough to get you on the phone they can use many practices that can demean you and scare you into giving into their demands. They will try anything in the book, even threaten you to get you to pay them. You are protected however, by the Federal Trade Commission and should find out what your rights are before speaking with anyone.

Your credit score will be ruined by them reporting to the credit agencies that you are late on payment or have become delinquent. This can be damaging to you if you try to finance a big ticket item such as a house or a car. Please remember that you can always reach a settlement or once you make payment that your scores can be improved.

You can have many late, over the limit and interest fees that can be tact on to the original amount you owe. When you are in delinquency these creditors will charge you the maximum interest rate possible, usually over 30%. The late penalties can add up as well, usually $25-$50, and if you exceed your original credit limit, watch out, they will add those over-the-limit fees as well.

If your debt becomes very delinquent, the creditor can take legal action against you. It is possible that they could garnish your wages, get a lien or other legal judgments requiring you to pay up. Just remember this is a long process and companies do not like to get this involed. Just be aware it can happen and sometimes they are ruthless.

If you are in a situation where you can not pay maybe it would be good to seek out a professional. There are a lot of institutions that can help you in a financial crisis

By: Bryan Burbank

Credit card debt » Federal Trade Commission

What Happens If I Don’t Pay My Credit Card Bills?

Not Paying Your Credit Card Bills