In the current down economy, many people are in debt, and searching for a way to stop collection calls that may be occurring on a daily basis. If this is happening to you, don’t feel like you are alone, and don’t buy into the guilt trip that many people put themselves through once they realize they are in over their heads with debt. That guilt trip is one of the many tactics that debt collectors will use against you, in the process of trying to squeeze every last dollar they can from you – if you let them.

If you are like countless other people, and you have credit card or other debts in collection, chances are that happened completely by accident, and not by any intention of your own. Many debt collectors like to make implications that consumers they are trying to collect from are somehow “dishonest”, and that they just borrowed unsecured debt with no intention of paying it back. You and I, and most everyday people, know the truth is very different.

Lost jobs, declining real estate values, rising costs of food and healthcare, are just a few of the reasons that so many people find themselves struggling to stay on top of their budgets. Most of the things I just mentioned are far out of any single individual’s power to control. But if you’ve ever had to deal with debt collector phone calls, you know that they love to try to use shame to push your buttons and wring some kind of payment from you, whether you are in a position to pay or not.

The fact is, between the two parties involved – you, the consumer struggling to make ends meet, and the debt collectors calling you each and every day – the ones likely more deserving of suspicion and shame are the debt collectors. They buy old debt that has been charged off (which means the original creditor has received at the very least a tax write-off for the lost revenue) and they buy it for pennies on the dollar. This gives them the legal right to “collect” on the debt. However, it does not give them the legal right to hassle and insult you. Those behaviors are strictly outlawed by the FDCPA, or Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.

The FDCPA is the federal law that protects consumers from abusive debt collectors; it is by knowing and using it effectively that you can stop collection calls. In it is a provision for how a debt collector can legally communicate with you regarding a debt. The bottom line is, if you request they cease and desist communication by phone, and conduct all communication in writing, the debt collectors must stop calling – and if they do not, you can actually sue them for financial damages.

The fact is, if you have a debt outstanding, you should make an effort to pay it back. However, not everybody is in a position to pay all their debts off at one time, or in some cases, at all, depending on their particular situation. If a debt does get charged off, that means the original creditor has essentially washed their hands of your debt. So, to be fair and honest, yes you still owe a debt – but all the rules change once that debt is charged off. Who, when, and how much you owe are all now a matter of perspective, in many ways, they are negotiable – literally and legally.

When it comes to debt collectors calling and constant harassing, the best thing you can do for yourself is to know your rights under the law, and choose to look at the situation very objectively as a business negotiation. Protect yourself, stop the calls, cut your losses, and move on. There’s plenty of time to improve your credit and financial situation, and life is too short to waste being made to feel guilty by abusive debt collector thugs.

Are you sick and tired of getting collection calls on a daily basis? Are you being harassed, pushed, or even threatened to make payments to debt collectors on old, charged off debts? The fact is, you do not have to put up with being fed guilt and fear, on top of experiencing the financial hardships that put you behind on your payments in the first place.

Debt collector thugs will try and question your integrity and decency, while threatening to take everything you have in an effort to influence you to pay the full balance on an old debt. You are protected by the FDCPA, and you have every right to negotiate lower payoff balances. Most likely, these debt collectors do not even have the legal right to take you to court, even though they often threaten to do so.

Wondering if it is possible to stop debt collectors from calling? Are you tired of constant phone calls from debt collectors that are rude, obnoxious, insulting, and even threatening? Ever wondered who gave them the right to bug you constantly and try to pressure or scare you into making payments you can’t afford? Well, the fact is, NO ONE gave them the legal right to harass you, and you DON’T have to take it any more! You can stop debt collector phone calls, and prevent them from bugging you constantly at home and at work.

Debt collectors have to abide by legal guidelines when they collect debts. They cannot threaten to sue you, or to have you arrested, or make any other ridiculous threats. If they do, you can use that to beat them at their own game.

Debt collection agency abuse has been on the rise in the United States. Recently, the Attorney General of New York had one infamous debt collector prosecuted and locked up, and the whole story was featured on prime time news. Some of these guys actually threaten physical violence, or pretend to be police officers and federal agents! This is totally and completely illegal and if they try that on you, you can use it to your advantage.

Obviously, their only motivation is greed. Debt collection agencies buy charged off debts at pennies on the dollar. So, they could buy a $5,000 debt that you owe to a credit card company for say, $250 (just an example.) This means that if they successfully convince you to pay them the full amount owed (to the original creditor) they see a profit of $4750! (This illustration contains a big hint as to why and how you can settle your collection accounts for much less than what you actually owed.)

Debt collectors routinely sling insults at you, your work ethic, your integrity, and yet many of them are nothing more than greedy thugs that simply buy the “right” to try and collect a debt from you. But that right is extremely limited, and frankly, your rights as a consumer give you MUCH MORE POWER than they have!

The bottom line is, debt collector harassment is against the law, and you can effectively Stop Debt Collectors In Their Tracks, if you have the guidance and the right tools in place. Don’t put up with the abuse any longer. Give yourself the gift of peace of mind. How nice will it feel to no longer fear the sound of a ringing phone?