hello, I am in a very similar situation as you may have read some of my posts. I am wondering what debt company you went with. I was young and with perfect credit opened a business using credit cards...working up to @$20,000 in debt..coincidentally(wink,wink) got a call from Emergeny debt relief and signed up..sounded great. Like you I wish I had found this website a year ago. Ipaid them up-front and (I had 5 cards in teh prgram) so far they have settled three of them. I had NO IDEA how bad this would affect my credit! as i read this site I find i shouldn't have stopped paying the monthly payments and that there were other options other than paying EDR like 4,000.00 up front..oh well can't really look back. I am looking for the same advice you are so this is basically a 2 point post: I will share any information I receive to help the situation and just a misery loves company post, letting you knwo you aren't the only one....we will get out..hopefully! The advice I have gotten and you can maybe use is: when you are negotiating a settlement tell them you will settle the debt only if they delete the information from your credit report. This way the company was proabably not expecting you to pay and you are offering them some money if they delete the negative information on your CR. hope this is helpful at all. erin
