Virtually every consumer who has passed the time while waiting in the grocery line by scanning media headlines off the magazine rack that precedes the cash register knows that the media loves lists.
Five ways to dress for success. Ten insider recommendations for scoring cheap home improvements. Fifty ways to leave your lover.
And serious topics are hardly taboo in the list-naming game. One recent article, for example, provides 10 tips for debt-laden consumers to consider when they are being challenged by debt collectors.
Debt relief is, of course, an altogether serious subject, and one that legitimately grabs the attention of many people. We believe that the recommendations stressed by parties deemed “experts” in the debt-focused article might be of close interest to some of our readers in Texas and elsewhere, and we duly note a few of the more central takeaways here. They include these tips:
- Know your rights, understanding that what seems like harassing and out-of-bounds behavior is likely just that — when it is unlawful, a proven debt-relief attorney can help put a stop to it
- Respond in a timely and purposeful manner to legitimate debt inquiries
- Maintain copies of relevant financial records and documents
- Watch and protect your various savings accounts; some funds are exempt from collection efforts
A centrally important point to note for many debtors who ultimately take the purposeful step of filing for bankruptcy is that filing results in an automatic stay. This means any pending or proposed litigation is put on hold, as are all collection efforts.
Many debt collectors don’t like to hear that. A proven bankruptcy attorney working with a debtor who is being harassed or otherwise intimidated by collectors will ensure that they do.
Source: Fox Business, “10 tips for dealing with debt collectors, collection,” Fred O. Williams, April 3, 2014