

You’ll owe taxes on debt forgivenĮverything that a debt relief company does for you can be done on your own. That’s still less of a decline than what you would see with bankruptcy, but it's still a significant amount. While settling debt is better than not paying at all, you can expect to see a hit between 100 and 125 points according to. Even if the account is settled, it will appear on your credit report that you had to use a settlement company, which is considered a negative in the eyes of potential lenders. The debt settlement itself will also cause a credit score hit.


In the FICO scoring system, payment history makes up 35% of a credit score and can remain on your report (and affect your credit score) for up to seven years. Since these companies encourage people to stop making debt payments, credit scores typically decrease. Debt settlement can lower your credit score in a few ways. Your credit score is vitally important: It not only determines your ability to get a credit card, it can also affect your eligibility to rent or buy a home or get an auto loan. Investing +More All Investing Best IRA Accounts Best Roth IRA Accounts Best Investing Apps Best Free Stock Trading Platforms Best Robo-Advisors Index Funds Mutual Funds ETFs Bonds Help for Low Credit Scores +More All Help for Low Credit Scores Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit Best Personal Loans for Bad Credit Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit Personal Loans if You Don't Have Credit Best Credit Cards for Building Credit Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score Lower Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Best Mortgages for Bad Credit Best Hardship Loans How to Boost Your Credit Score Taxes +More All Taxes Best Tax Software Best Tax Software for Small Businesses Tax Refunds Small Business +More All Small Business Best Small Business Savings Accounts Best Small Business Checking Accounts Best Credit Cards for Small Business Best Small Business Loans Best Tax Software for Small Business

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