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After October 17, 2005, a lot of people are going to become interested in debt settlement as an alternative to bankruptcy, also known as collection agency debt settlement That's the date the new bankruptcy law goes into effect, and it means a rude awakening for many consumers seeking a fresh start in bankruptcy court, also known as collection agency debt settlement It used to be that 7 out of 10 people filing personal bankruptcy were granted Chapter 7 status, where the unsecured debts are totally wiped away, also known as collection agency debt settlement That will change under the new rules. If your income is above the median for your state, or you can pay back at least $100 per month toward your debts, then you'll be turned down for Chapter 7. Instead, you'll be shifted into Chapter 13, where you pay back a portion of the debt over 3-5 years. It gets worse. When the court calculates your allowable living expenses, it will use the approved IRS schedules, not your actual documented expenses. So even if you don't think you can pay $100 a month or more, the judge will probably disagree. Instead of a fresh start, many people will be faced with the grim reality of a harsh 5-year plan, on a court-mandated budget that forces them to adopt a much lower standard of living. That's where debt settlement starts to look pretty attractive. Yes, I know debt settlement has its critics. I've criticized aspects of the industry myself. But what the critics don't seem to understand is that this approach is for people who would otherwise go bankrupt! Let's examine the three main complaints against debt settlement and see where the critics are missing the mark. "Debt settlement has a negative impact on your credit score." Wow. Big deal! Pretend it's two years from now. Would you rather have an A+ credit rating or be totally free of debt? Pick one please, because you can't have both. All debt reduction programs have a negative impact on credit scores. That's why only people who truly can't keep up with their bills should go into one of these programs. But it's pointless to worry about your credit while you're bein