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What if I’m behind on my bills?
Don’t wait. Call your creditors, which are the companies you owe
money to. Do it before a debt collector gets involved. Tell them
what’s going on, and try to work out a new payment plan with
lower payments you can manage.
What if my debt has already gone to a debt
collector?
You might want to talk to the collector at least once, even if you
don’t think you owe the debt or can’t repay it immediately. That
way you can confirm whether it’s really your debt, and if it is, you
can find out from the collector more information about it. In talking
with a debt collector, be careful about sharing your personal or
financial information, especially if you’re not already familiar with
the collector.
Also know the rules a debt collector must follow. For example, a
debt collector has to tell you: how much money you owe, whom
you owe the money to, and what to do if you don’t think it’s your
debt. And if you tell the collector in writing that you do not believe
this is your debt, the collector has to send you verification of the
debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe, in the mail.
A debt collector also has rules on how it collects a debt. For
example, a collector can’t:
● contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree to it
● contact you at work if the collector is told you’re not allowed
to get calls there
● tell anyone else about your debt
● harass you or lie to you