So, you have decided that settling your credit card debts on your own is the better path instead of hiring a debt relief company for the purpose.If you have the skills and talents to compete with these professionals when it comes to negotiation, communication and documentation then give it a shot.Not too long ago, a nurse with a little bit of groundwork in tax laws took on the IRS single-handedly then so can you in the case of debt relief.

There are certain things, however, that you must consider when settling credit card debts as a personal endeavor. These three tips will ensure that you are one step closer to successfully taking on those credit card companies.

You must ensure that your accounts are considerably delinquent

You can try to negotiate a lower principal amount on your credit card bills as soon as you feel that making the minimum monthly payment is not going to be possible or if you feel that the debts are not going to be paid due to other fiscal priorities/emergencies.You should bear in mind that the debt relief process cannot be used unless your accounts are sufficiently delinquent.

Wondering how delinquent? Well, delinquent credit card accounts are written off as an accounting procedure once these have reached 180-plus days in the ageing method.The writeoff causes the account to drop in value significantly and third parties usually buy these for real cheap – sometimes around 4-6% of the original amount.

To prevent this from taking place, the credit card company will be eager to settle the debt through a negotiation process.If the creditors get half of what you owe, thats much better than the 5% they would’ve gotten from the third party collection agencies.

Detailed Documentation

The days of verbal agreements holding any value are long gone and especially when it comes to credit card debt settlement.It is your word against the word of the collection agency so there isn’t a clearcut winner in this scenario.

The other option is that you maintain excellent written records of all the matters related to the settlement and negotiation process with your creditors.Send out the letters with accurate and comprehensive information to clearly specified addresses/addressees. Then, file these letters and other forms of communication in a binder for easy access.

If you do have a conversation on the phone, record the details.Document the date, time, the names of the people you spoke with, the contact numbers and the details of the conversation.

Use Mail That Can Be Tracked

Once the settlement has been reached, send your payment through certified mail or any mail that can be tracked.Send the check along with a memo clarifying that the check is the full payment along with a copy of the settlement that was reached.Now, you will have pretty good documentation.

Dont forget the specific strategies that you need to use to settle the debt by yourself.Remember the three tips here and you will do just fine in this process.

There are steps that you can carry out. For more strategies on how to fix a bad credit report you should read our articles about what you can do when you cant pay credit card debt

Now, when you are wondering -how can I improve my credit score? – you will know the answer(s)..