Strategies for Paying Off Debt in Collections

Staffed by professional collectors with an average internal employment tenure of 10 years, American Accounts and Advisers offers skilled recovery of delinquent accounts. American Accounts and Advisers combines gold-standard collection procedures with a commitment to service, which in turn helps debtors and creditors find appropriate resolutions.

If you have a bill that has gone into collections, it is likely already impacting your credit score. The only way to fix this is to pay off the bill, but how you do this makes a difference. 

Some experts advise debtors to offer payment in exchange for having the account deleted from their credit reports. This is known as “pay for delete” and may be possible if you are able to negotiate a settlement with the collection agency, who will accept a percentage of the original amount. In some cases, however, you will need to pay the account in full in exchange for its deletion.

If you are unable to arrange a pay for delete agreement, you still need to pay off the account to keep it from continuously hurting your credit score. You may be able to arrange a settlement that the collector will mark as paid in full, or you can settle it and have it marked paid rather than paid in full. This will help your score, though not as much as if you paid in full.

Of course, paying your debt in full is always an option and may be necessary depending on the circumstances of your account. If you find that you need to pay the full amount, you may be able to do so in a lump sum or via a payment plan, but it does help to discuss your options with the collector or creditor first. That way, you can increase your chances of a mutually beneficial arrangement.