RETURN OF THE DEBT CONSOLIDATOR

Over the past several weeks, a phenomenon from the late-1990’s and early-2000’s has returned to our radar – the debt consolidator. These businesses offer their services to individuals and small businesses who find themselves bombarded by collection calls. They sell their wares as being able to negotiate reductions in debt and reducing the number of collection calls to be received.

There are certainly legitimate debt consolidators out there, but the Federal Trade Commission cautions, as do we, that you need to ask questions and do due diligence before signing on with a consolidation company. To that end, check out https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0150-coping-debt#use

And, if you are a creditor, ask questions before you negotiate with a non-lawyer third-party purportedly acting on behalf of one of your customers. Make certain your customer has actually retained them and that payments will get to you without your giving up rights and claims you do not mean to surrender.