If you’re an active servicemember, you know that you have other things to worry about than a debt that needs to be paid. You’ve got a tough job and if you’re focused on doing it well, it’s unlikely that you’re going to be worrying about your debts. Inevitably though, so many service members come home to find that their families are at risk of being put out on the streets due to bills that couldn’t be paid, or that they are facing other really big financial difficulties.

There is a way that you can offset the debt collection process if you are an active duty servicemember so that you can focus on doing your job and don’t have to worry that your family is at risk of having problems while you are away.

Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) will protect you and your dependents from having to worry about being evicted, having your home foreclosed upon, or dealing with other types of debt collection. It was created in 2003 and it replaces the SSCRA, which was created in 1940. This Act states that you and certain dependents are protected from financial issues that might involve housing, insurance, taxation, and interest rates.

In fact, if you find that your family is struggling to meet their financial obligations while you’re away, you might discover that there is help for you and certain dependents through this Act. You might find that debt collections stop and that you can even qualify for an interest rate reduction.

Get the help you need

If you’re an active duty servicemember and you’re dealing with debt collection problems, you might find that the SCRA can help you. The right advice can help you choose the course of action that will not only protect you, but can help give your family the peace of mind that they need while you’re doing your job.

Consider consulting a fair debt attorney who specializes in helping servicemembers and see if you might qualify for an interest rate reduction or if you can get relief from debt collectors while you’re away. This type of attorney is well versed in the laws and how they affect people just like you, so you can feel confident that you’re getting the best help possible.

When you’re an active duty servicemember, you don’t have the time to worry that your family will go homeless or that you’re going to return home to a mountain of debt. Take the necessary steps to ensure that your investments and family will be secure while you’re gone.

Find out about the SCRA and how you might benefit from it. Whether you’re falling behind on your mortgage payments or you have old credit card debts, you don’t need to be worried about it right now. The SCRA was put in place to ensure that you’re able to focus on the task at hand and do so effectively, so why not find out how it can help you and your family?

Hiring a debt collection agency lets you collect any outstanding payment from your own debtors easily and lawfully. Getting your debtors to pay for their dues can be difficult, particularly if you are addressing an older debt. An experienced financial collector understands the required steps to get the funding you’re relying on and negotiates with all your business clients to create a method of payment you and your debtor can agree on. With their help, you will get the income you’ve been banking on for a long time that will help you keep your business running.

Many clients today neglect to settle their accounts with businesses like you for several reasons. They could be in short supply of funding because of the global economic decline. They may have simply forgotten their deadline, which is why they missed it. You might have a misunderstanding using your initial agreement and have to settle terms before they can make any payout. No matter what the explanation is, an expert in debt collection services could help you think of solutions to get your outstanding funds back.

Every debt collection agency must adhere to debt settlement policies in your state. Make sure to choose a firm that has license to operate in your current state. If you have to collect unpaid accounts from various parts of the land, locate a collector that has multiple licenses. Different areas have varying policies, which is why this license is significant.

In general, your collector follows these procedures when gathering your unsettled accounts. They are going to send your debtors demand letters that indicate the subsequent details: the nature of their unpaid dues; a payment date, usually thirty days from the time your collector begins this process; and details if the debtor would like to negotiate. At this stage of the process, you will only have to wait for updates of the expert in debt collection services concerning the advancement of the collection process.

In case your client ignores the letters, they are going to pay a personal visit to try negotiating in the flesh. Make sure you ask your agency if you need to be present for this particular meeting to verify the debt. Some debtors will challenge the validity of their debt, and that is lawful. Proving its validity requires you to be there to provide proof of your transactions. Even if they do not challenge the financial obligation, you’ll still want to be present for the negotiation should your client and your collector reach an agreement.

Once they ignore your agent’s visit, your debt collection agency will turn to one last method, but only when you give your consent beforehand. They are going to let your debtor know that you will file charges if they don’t settle their account with you. The law prohibits them from threatening your clientele with a lawsuit unless you will follow through with it, so be sure on this move before giving your collector the go signal.

Go with a collector that has expert negotiation skills. This speeds up the collection process and enables you to keep a civil relationship with all your debtors. Obtaining your unpaid dues faster also lets you keep your company losses low. In case you are having problems getting your clients to repay you for the services, acquiring the services of a professional collector is the solution.

If your phone has been ringing off the hook by debt collectors, putting an end to these harassing collection calls is easier than you think. With the following steps you can easily and quickly put an end to bill collector calls.

Before I go into the steps, I want you to know that you are protected against debt collector harassment by the Fair Debt Collection Act (aka FDCPA). I’m not going to go into full detail about this law, but the FDCPA prohibits debt collection harassment and protects consumers rights.

So first and foremost know that you have rights as a consumer against collection agency harassment and individual collector’s harassment.

So, how do you Stop Collection Calls? Like I said, it’s easy.

Step 1: Call the Collection Agency

The easiest way to Stop Collection Calls is by calling them directly.

That’s right, call the collection company and advise them that you want them to Cease & Desist any and all phone communication with you.

This is called a Verbal Cease & Desist. Technically a verbal Cease and Desist only applies to your place of employment or cell phone, but I suggest calling and notifying the agency to cease any / all calls to all numbers they have on file for you.

An example call would be like this: “This is John Doe, I’m calling about my account [Give Account Number]. I am calling to advise you to “Cease & Desist” any and all TELEPHONE Communication with me. I only want to be contacted via mail. Please update my account with this request.”

Some harassing debt collectors will try to argue you with you and keep you on the phone. If this is the case, simply hang up the phone and proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Write a “Cease & Desist Letter”

A cease and desist letter is simply a letter stating that you want the agency and debt collectors to quit calling you. A Cease & Desist letter is quite effective in putting an end to harassing collection calls and is very easy to write.

You can be as short and to the point as simply writing “Cease & Desist” any/all TELEPHONE communication with me or my family. Or You can be extensive and include some FDCPA debt collection laws in your letter.

The choice is yours as long as you include the 2 powerful words “Cease & Desist”.

WARNING: You only want to Cease & Desist Telephone communication. Do not request for the collection agency to stop all collection communication. You want them to still be able to send you statements in the mail. It is important that they have some way to contact you.

Step 3: Mail the Cease & Desist

You should send your Cease & Desist notice via Certified Mail.

This will help insure that the debt collection and will provide you with proof that the debt collection agency harassing you received the letter.

Keep any / all receipts of your mailings. If the debt collector or collection agency contacts you again after receiving your letter requesting them to stop collection calls, then they may be in violation of your rights under the FDCPA.

Which you may be able to pursue action against the debt collector and the debt collection agency harassing you.

Step 4: Fax the Cease & Desist Letter

In addition to verbally advising and mailing a letter to tell the debt collector to stop calling you, you should also fax your Cease & Desist letter to the collection agency.

This will show the agency that you are serious about stopping harassing calls.

Simply contact the agency and ask for their fax number, it should be as simple as this. Of course there may be some situations where the debt collection agency plays games and won’t give you the fax number.

Simply hang up and call later, someone is bound to give you the fax number.

You can generally obtain the fax number for the collection agency on the internet. Getting the fax number directly from the collection agency is usually the best route.

Step 5: Repeat No one can guarantee that you will be able to permanently stop all debt collection calls; this just isn’t possible.

There is a good chance that your account(s) will be placed with multiple collection agencies or sold to a debt purchaser. If your account is placed with a new collection agency or sold to a debt purchaser, simply repeat the first 4 steps and this will help in your efforts to stop debt collection calls.