There are plenty of reasons to hire a settlement company, just as there are plenty of reasons not to hire one. It really comes down to a personal preference of the individual.

A consumer can absolutely negotiate and settle their debts with their creditors. A good debt settlement company can certainly provide some advantages though, and it is up to the individual to weigh the costs vs the benefits.
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Yes, consumer credit counseling is a good solution if you are in a situation where you can afford your payments but simply have really high interest rates and you would like to have your rates lowered so you can pay more principle toward your debt.

Actually dealing with your creditors is not that difficult if you know the rules and know what the outcome is going to be before you start.
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So it is better to keep your guard up and hopefully prevent yourself from getting in a position where you would have to try and sue to get your money back.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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I wasn’t sure about the suggestion of keeping lines of communication open with your creditors, though. Have you ever actually tried to talk to those people? They don’t care.
Harry