Newly Single and Struggling for Financial Freedom

Helen* is a hard-working single parent, honest, responsible and concerned for her financial well-being. But like many hard-working people, she ran into circumstances she couldn't control — and quickly got into financial trouble. She needed help!

A series of unfortunate events

Recently divorced, Helen was forced to sell her home — as a single mother living on a lower income than during her marriage, she was simply not able to afford to keep it. However, her ex-husband had not kept up with maintenance on the home, and it needed $25,000 worth of repairs before she could sell it. Unfortunately, this was just the tip of the iceberg that ultimately resulted in an unmanageable financial situation for her.

Within the span of two years:

• Her car was hit by a highway sign; the repair costs — $1,000 — were not covered by insurance.
• She fell and broke her foot the day before she was scheduled to start a new job and was forced to postpone her start date.
• As the doctor's bills piled up while she was unable to work, she became unable to pay her mortgage. The bank foreclosed on her condo.
• In the meantime, she developed a physical problem that required $8,000 worth of testing.
• Her recently repaired car broke down and she had to pay $1,900 to fix it.

Unfortunately, there was still more to come.

Trying to make headway

Helen had returned to college to pursue a master's degree and had taken student loans to finance her education. Although her daughter was also in college at the time, she had the promise of earning a bigger salary to keep her going. But after she graduated, her employer denied her raise. As a special education teacher, Helen was faced with repaying her loans from her already small salary. Since then, Helen has undergone two pay cuts and endured insurance premiums that have increased six percent.

As the bills continued to pile up, and her debt continued to rise, Helen tried to manage on her own, but the creditors were relentless and her cries for help fell on deaf ears. She couldn't control the calls and didn't have the ability to pay her bills. She felt as though she was drowning in debt and worried that her credit would be ruined.

Helen had no hope and felt utterly defeated. That's when she discovered Today Matters Debt Relief, a company that specializes in debt arbitration and serious financial hardship situations.

A fresh approach

Today Matters helped Helen formulate a game plan to pay off her debts quickly and rebuild her credit. The company's certified debt consultants created a customized plan that gave Helen the time she needed to build up a private savings account and begin paying off her debts in as early as six months — without damaging her credit, which might have happened if Helen had gone through a credit counseling-type program.

In addition, Today Matters' licensed arbitrators enforced Helen's federally mandated rights of protection from "third party" creditor harassment. They got between her and her creditors to make sure they treated her fairly and with respect.

Thanks to this debt arbitration solution, Helen is currently 90 percent debt free; only two small accounts remain. Helen feels as though the weight of the world has been lifted off her shoulders and she has the opportunity for a fresh start, thanks to Today Matters Debt Relief.

How does it work?

Debt arbitration is an effective means of debt resolution. Debt arbitration companies employ licensed arbitrators to act on a consumer's behalf. The arbitrators negotiate with creditors to reduce their clients' overall debts — in other words, the creditors agree to reduce the amount of debt and to regarded payment of that reduced amount as payment in full.

It's not a free ride; the client must agree to meet a regular payment schedule. And only unsecured debts can be handled through debt arbitration. But the debt arbitration process can lower debts by more than 50 percent of the balance.

Because debt arbitration creates a solution for customers to pay a lower rate on a scheduled payment plan, the key to success is active participation by the customer and dedication to the payment plan.

Visit Debt Freedom Tips to learn more about debt arbitration and to find a real strategy for immediate financial relief, without ruining your credit.

* Helen's name has been changed. Today Matters respects its clients' privacy and never shares client information.

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