Fraudulent Debt Companies Taking Advantage of Disadvantaged

Once again, there are thousands of fraudulent debt settlement companies out there. We hear about them every single day, and how consumers paid hundreds and thousands of dollars in monthly fees while the debt settlement companies would literally sit on the money and not work to get them out of debt. But, and I say it again, not all debt settlement companies are like that.

ACCORD, the American Coalition of Companies Organized to Reduce Debt, is an organization that, much like USOBA, United States Organizations for Bankruptcy Alternatives, has set extremely strict guidelines in regards to debt settlement company membership. Any company that wishes to enroll and become credited by ACCORD must adhere to certain policies that truly make it impossible for the company to be fraudulent in any way.

Debt settlement and negotiation companies that join ACCORD agree to operate by these three critical principles:

1.) We believe debt negotiation and settlement must become a solid, credible industry that provides measurable and serious debt relief for consumers facing the overwhelming power of credit card companies. ACCORD member companies agree to operate fairly, transparently and with the goal of delivering some critically-needed balance to credit card company / card holder relationship.

2.) We only get paid when we successfully settle or negotiation our clients outstanding credit card debt. That means absolutely no up-front fees, no interim fees and no payment of any kind unless and until we deliver real savings to the client on their credit card balances. No success, no fee!

3.) We believe in and practice full disclosure to clients and regulators. Before any prospective client signs any agreement, ACCORD companies disclose fully, completely and in the simplest language possible the exact terms of our performance-based agreement and we supply regulators with all the information necessary to evaluate our compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

www.AmericanCCord.com

It doesn’t have to be complicated, or shady. It’s simple, much like The Simple Plan that ACCORD endorses that has been taking the nation by storm. The Simple Plan is ACCORD’s debt settlement program that involves no upfront fees and forces the debt negotiators to work diligently for an affordable debt settlement for their clients. The fees at the end of the 12 to 36 month program is based solely on the amount each client is saved. A percentage of the saved amount is then charged, which entices the debt negotiators to do their absolute best to get the customer the best possible settlement, because everyone wins in the end.

According to the recent article that I read, over 15 million people are out of work, over 5 million of them have been out of work for 6 months or more, and those who are working are averaging on 33 hours a week. Everyone is struggling, and the fraudulent debt settlement and collection agencies are making more money than ever, preying on the middle class. While everyone is barely keeping food on the table, credit card companies, debt collection agencies, and debt settlement companies are sitting high and mighty. But not every debt settlement company should be included in that category.

The reliable debt settlement companies are laying off employees just like everyone else, as they refuse to take advantage of the weak by raising prices and limiting services. ACCORD certified companies are simply changing the way they do business to benefit the consumer, even if it means taking the high road and losing employees.

When researching your debt settlement options, don’t be veered by the bloggers who want to keep you from alternative debt relief options that come from reliable companies, and that might actually help you out in the long run.

For reliable, ACCORD certified debt settlement help, visit http://ping.fm/bfD5s.