How To Find All Your Debts [4 Tips]

debts versus retirement

Paying off your debts is a critical part of a healthy credit profile. Here’s what you need to know about how to find your debts.

It’s uncomfortable to admit, but it’s entirely possible that you have debts you didn’t even know about. Whether mail went missing or communication about medical debt got mixed up, it’s possible an account with your name on it is languishing somewhere in collections. Get some tips to find out all your debts so you can make educated decisions about how to clean up your credit history.

How to Find All Your Debts

  1. Check Your Credit Reports
  2. Go Through Old and New Mail
  3. Listen to All Those Old Voicemails
  4. Contact Creditors You Think You Owe 

What to Do After You Find Your Debts

  1. Decide Whether You Can or Will Pay
  2. Consider Credit Repair Services
  3. Keep Up with Credit Reports and Debts

How to Find All Your Debts

Even if you keep meticulous records, it’s possible for some debts to have fallen through the cracks. And perhaps you know you owe a debt, but it’s been passed around between collection agencies so many times you’ve forgotten who currently owns the debt. Here’s how to find out which collection agency you owe or uncover debts you don’t know about.

1. Check Your Credit Reports

Our first tip for finding your hidden debts is to turn to your credit report. While not every debt is reported, many are. And if you’re in collections or have owed the debt for a while, chances are someone has placed a negative item on at least one of your credit reports.

The trick here is getting copies of all three of your credit reports from the major bureaus. Not all creditors report to all three, so TransUnion, for example, could have a detail that Equifax and Experian do not—and vice versa.

You can get one free copy of your credit report from each agency every year at AnnualCreditReport.com. (They’re available weekly for a limited time due to COVID-19.) But for those who really want to get a handle on who they owe and what’s on their report, a service such as ExtraCredit is a good choice.

ExtraCredit lets you see your credit reports from all three bureaus—anytime. The reports are pulled monthly. It also gives you regular updates on 28 of your FICO® scores, so you have a clear picture of what your credit history looks like to lenders. Plus, you can get rewards and offers for valuable credit services, including credit monitoring and credit cards.

2. Go Through Old and New Mail

Who among us hasn’t picked up the mail, only to put it in a stack by the front door and leave it there to languish for months? Life gets busy, and it can be tempting to slide unopened envelopes into a bin or drawer and forget about them. But mail can back up before you realize it, and you might miss a notice of a bill or debt.

Take some time to gather all the mail you have. Open it and sort it, carefully looking to see whether you need to take action on something or if you might owe someone money. Keep a notebook or computer nearby so you can make a list.

3. Listen to All Those Old Voicemails

Voicemail can back up just like snail mail. Many people never actually check their voicemail, assuming those who need them will call them back or text them.

Legitimate creditors and collections agencies should leave a voicemail, including contact information. They’ll also usually show up on your caller ID. 

Clear out your old voicemail, listening to each one and making notes about it. Compare that information with the notes you got from your mail and what’s on your credit report to compile a master list of debt you might owe. Keep an ear open for potential debt collection scammers and do your research before following up with anyone.

4. Contact Creditors You Think You Owe

In some cases, you know you owe someone, but it’s been a while. You can contact the last creditor you remember and find out if they still own the debt or if they wrote it off and sold it to a collection agency. They should be able to confirm your debt and give you the name and contact information for the agency that they sold the debt to, if applicable.

What to Do After You Find Your Debt

Once you go through a debt finder process and figure out who you owe money to, you have some decisions to make. Here are three tips for dealing with debt once you find it.

1. Decide Whether You Can—or Will—Pay

You might rush to pay off old debts thinking it will boost your credit, but that may not happen. Yes, the debt should then be marked as paid on your credit report. But the damage from the late payments and collection accounts could still linger.

So, you need to consider seriously how you can and will deal with old debt. If you simply can’t afford to pay, talk to a legal professional about your options, rights, and what consequences could come from paying or not paying old debt. For example, if you start making payments, the statute of limitations could restart and leave you at risk of lawsuits and legal collection activity much longer.

2. Consider Credit Repair Services

One result of digging through credit reports and chasing down old debt can be finding errors or collections you don’t actually owe. If you find inaccurate information on your credit reports, you might consider working with a credit repair service.

Credit repair services work on your behalf to dispute inaccurate information with the credit bureaus. You can actually do credit repair yourself, but if you don’t have time or just know you aren’t going to follow up, you might get more value by paying professionals to handle it for you.

3. Keep Up with Credit Reports and Debts in the Future

Finally, once you do the work to find your debt and clean it up, keep up with your credit reports in the future. While every single debt may not appear on your credit report—or appear right away—staying on top of your credit report ensures you’re aware of most of them. ExtraCredit gives you the access to your accounts that you need to keep track of your debts and your credit score.

Bonus Tip: Once you’ve found all your debts, use a debt management app like Tally to keep track of them moving forward so you’ll never have to wonder about them again.

TL;DR: ExtraCredit Could Help You Identify and Manage Your Debts

If you’ve lost track of your debts and what you owe to who, it can take some work and time to track everything down. But once you do, stay ahead of these things with help from ExtraCredit.

DISCLAIMER. The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to be, legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. 



from Arrest Your Debt https://ift.tt/2NEaUOV
via IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What You Need to Know About GoodRx

Image
Prescription drug prices vary wildly across different pharmacies and contribute to the  high cost of healthcare  in our country. On average, an American spends about  $1200 per person per year , more than anyone in any other country. One company trying to help the public reduce these costs – and still get the medications they need – is GoodRx. What is GoodRx? Starting in 2011,  GoodRx  is a startup that created an online website and phone app platform that tracks the prices of different prescription medications. Users can find information on drug prices near them, compare them to various pharmacies, AND get free coupons for discounts. GoodRx checks over 70,000 pharmacies nationwide in the United States and receives millions of visitors each month. The mobile phone app for Good Rx is ranked number one for medical apps for iOS and Android. How it Works There is no need to input any personal information in the Good Rx site or app. It’s free t...
Read more

Home Ownership Expenses You Need To Know And Plan For

Image
Buying a home is one of the most significant financial decisions people make because it is capital-intensive. Although  home ownership  has numerous advantages over renting, it’s crucial for you to be aware of all the expenses you must make as a new landlord. Having this information early on will enable you to plan so it doesn’t hit you unexpectedly. Your Property Taxes Property taxes are one of the numerous responsibilities that come with home ownership. It is important for you to consider how much your property tax will cost before buying a home because it varies depending on the state and local tax jurisdiction. It can be as high as $6,000 annually or much lower than that. Ultimately, the area’s municipal government will determine the rate. Your municipal government may hire a tax assessor to assess your property and others in your neighborhood and assign taxes to owners based on the fair market value of their properties.  One crucial thing to note is that leavin...
Read more

7 Things You Need to Know About Car Title Loans Before Applying

Image
If you own a vehicle, car title loans can be an easy way to get a fast loan for immediate cash. While this sounds enticing, you should know the terms and conditions of title loans and the risks you may be taking. Thorough Research And Comparison Of Different Lenders While this may sound cliché, properly understanding your lender, its legitimacy, and its policies is vital to avoid getting scammed or surprised by terms you have not seen before. Some lenders may offer lower interest fees but higher fees. This is why you need to read through the fine print to know exactly what you’re opting into. If you have bad credit, consider looking up the  best online title loans for bad credit . The application process may be easy, and the approval rate impressively fast; however, being informed will give you a sense of assurance, knowing the necessary details. Interest Rates And Repayment Terms Car title loans typically charge you an interest rate of 25% per month on the money you borrow. ...
Read more