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Debt Settlement - is an approach to debt reduction in which the consumer (or company on behalf of the consumer) and a creditor agree on a reduced balance that will be regarded as payment in full.  During a negotiation period, all payments by the consumer are made to the debt settlement company, which typically withholds the payments in an escrow account until enough funds have been built up to begin the offering of a reduced amount to the creditor(s). 

Here are steps that you can take to protect your personal information from being abused.

Find out if your information may have been exposed.

You can do this by entering your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number at Equifax's website. The site will disclose if you if you've been affected by the data breach.

Consider enrolling for a free year of credit monitoring.

U.S. Equifax consumers are eligible for year of free credit monitoring and other services regardless of whether or no your information was exposed.

Be sure to monitor your accounts for any unusual activity.

Accounts on your credit reports that you didn't open, incorrect personal information on your credit reports, and credit inquiries from companies that you've never contacted. These are all potential signs of fraud or identity theft.

Consider placing a credit freeze.

Placing a credit freeze on your credit makes it more difficult for a thief to open a new account in your name. Remember that a credit freeze cannot prevent a thief from making changes to your existing accounts.

Consider setting a fraud alert.

This will require creditors to verify your identity before issuing a credit card, opening a new account or increasing a credit limit on an existing account. A fraud alert will not prevent a lender from opening credit in your name in the same way that a freeze does, but it will require lenders to take additional steps to verify your identity first.

Feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water? Both financially and emotionally? Debt has the ability to hit us all where it hurts, and it’s often due to circumstances beyond our control. A recent job loss or illness can swiftly snowball your finances out of control. The sudden death of a loved one, maybe a family member or spouse, can incur unexpected costs when you’re trying to focus on dealing with a loss too. Or maybe you’ve been the victim of identity fraud or are recently divorced. It could be any number of circumstances that have lead to this moment and that credit score which you feel is pulling you down. The important thing to remember, if you’re feeling lost and alone because of this, is that you’re not on your own.

Just by taking the first step to educating yourself about your credit situation and researching a way out, are you taking the matter into your own hands. Be your own hero; don’t wait for that lifesaver to be thrown to you, take control and save yourself. Here at Sperity we’ll help you do just that; following an examination of your credit report we’ll arrange a personal consultation and help you set actionable steps that will put you on the right path to a financially stable future with a better credit score awaiting you on the horizon. Credit restoration that is tailored to each individual and their circumstances.  Bad credit is no longer a way of life you just have to deal with and anyone drowning in financial hardship as the ability to restore their credit situation.

Take control and be the hero in your own life story. With Sperity’s resources at your side every step of the way, empower yourself out of your current credit situation and set a course to your ideal destination.

Buying a home is a financial dream held by nearly everyone. As is the desire to stop paying dead-end rent and being at the mercy of your landlord; a yearning that most of us can relate to. But we all know the build-up to buying a house starts long before the moment you finally receive the keys to your own front door. It isn’t until most people start to consider turning that dream into a reality that they hit upon their first obstacle; their credit scores.

Are you worried about your credit report? Have you been through any money misfortunes over the course of recent years, and have perhaps been burying your head in the sand about your financial circumstances? Well don’t worry, you're not the only one. The Great Recession took its toll on all who survived it, and many still bear the credit score scars to prove it. A vast majority of us suffered casualties to our credit reports in one way or another. And at least 1 in 4 credit reports contain inaccuracies that can have a negative effect on your credit scores. But the good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to turn your fix your credit report and turn your credit scores around. All is not lost.