[ChihuahuaMomma]

Hi there,

So, my question has to do with DEBT, not credit card debt though. That seems to be the only sort of debt that you can get help with though...

I have some random debts under my name that I need to start paying off, but I can't afford to pay them all off at the same time, or start payment plans at the same time. Total is less than $10,000. Is there any sort of company or system that can/will help with this??

I want to get married sometime in the near future and I don't see it as fair to carry debt into a marriage and ruin someone else's credit with it.

Thanks for any and all advice!

[DoulaLC]

One step to try would be to contact the companies and ask about setting up a modified payment plan, lowering the minimum due, and/or possibly lower your interest. You may be able to defer some. Some companies will work with you, some won't. It certainly doesn't hurt to ask.

See where things stand after that.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Noted. Thanks.

[debtprophet]

It's certainly a good idea to carry debt into marriage. All you can do is to negotiate with your creditors and set up a repayment plan for such debts. On the other hand, you may enroll with a professional debt relief service, who'll handle the entire thing for you and charge a small percentage on the amount they can reduce (thus allowing you to save).

[ChihuahuaMomma]

I'm assuming you mean "not a good idea"...

I have tried to negotiate with creditors and none of them will work with me. I can't afford $90 each month for EACH debt, and none of them will go lower than that. I live paycheck to paycheck and because I don't own a home and/or have children these people think that I have no obligations for my money and I can throw it all to them.

How and where do I inquire about this debt relief service? I was told that this wasn't possible for less than $10,000 in debt.

[DoulaLC]

There are many out there these days, but you do need to be careful and check them out before agreeing to anything. Here is just one option to look into: Consumer Credit Counseling and Debt Consolidation Services

[Fr_Chuck]

First as long as the other party knows about the debt, getting married with or without debt really does not matter. And in most states ( in the US) your debt before marriage does not automatically become his debt and does not ruin his credit score.

Next even most of the "companies" and I use that word loosely for most, that claim to help with credit cards are more scam than help and often leave you worst off. They do little that many people can not do on their own by working deals with the lenders.
Often the only way to pay is to pick one at a time, work a deal out and pay them off, then start working on the next one. And often silly thing, some debts the older they get wihtout being paid, the better deal they make.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Fr_chuck... how would my debt NOT become his debt once married. Everyone I've talked to in the same situation said that they've ruined their significant other's credit with theirs...

[Fr_Chuck]

I am not up on Washington state laws, but no, when Toni and I got married, I had no obligation or requirement to pay any of her debt. And we keep our bank accounts separate so if they garnished her money, it would not freeze up any of my money. They can't touch a penny of my money for her debts. Thus I never put anything I owned before we were married in her name either, the house, cars, investment property nothing is in her name.

Only our newest corporation has her as a board member and she does not actually own it, since it is owned by a corporation

[ChihuahuaMomma]

I actually live in Oregon now...