Posted on June 19, 2009 at 6:22 am Hi, is there any help for pregnant women in debt here? My goal is to eliminate my credit card debts before the baby is born. My income is just not going to do and I'm at this alone.

Posted on June 19, 2009 at 6:38 am You might want to enroll in a debt settlement program. You can always negotiate the debt on your own with your creditors but that would give you more stress which may harm your pregnancy. Regarding fees, it is 20% of your total debt, which you'd save in either your own savings account or a third party account that the debt settlement company would set up for you. When you've saved enough to pay the service fee, you then would save up for a certain amount that is enough to negotiate with. All you have to do is qualify, if your minimum debt is $1,000, you may qualify for this--and just concentrate on your pregnancy.

Posted on June 19, 2009 at 6:40 am To help you with the expenses try the state-sponsored medical insurance benefits for pregnant women. You may inquire at your local health center if it's possible for them to cover the cost of your pregnancy.

Posted on June 19, 2009 at 6:43 am Speaking of financial aids, you can also ask some assistance at the local crisis pregnancy centers and women's aid charities. They can help you with baby items. The WIC (women, infants, children), on the other hand, offers food aid, that should reduce your food expenses, at least.

Posted on June 19, 2009 at 6:48 am I've actually asked the local churches for help and they said that they'd see what they can come up with. Thank you for your replies, I'd start looking into those.

Posted on June 19, 2009 at 6:51 am I almost forgot...child support. You might want to look into that. I'm sorry if it's a personal subject, one that you might not want to discuss in a public forum...but I believe that it's your right to collect on that.

Posted on June 19, 2009 at 7:40 am Msissbedingfield- your statement in regards to fees that debt settlement companies charge is very misleading. Not all companies charge 20% of the total debt amount. In fact, the majority of companies charge 15% of the total debt amount. Furthermore, your interpretation of the fee structure is inaccurate as well. Most companies will charge a retainer over the first 3-5 months and spread out the remaining fees over 12-15 months. Some settlement companies will charge 20-25% of the amount they settle the debt for, maybe that is what you were thinking of? Either way I wanted to clear that up because many people are concerned with being overcharged by debt relief companies. And finally, your assertion that someone would qualify for debt settlement as long as they owe $1,000 is also false. The majority of debt settlement companies have a minimum amount of $10,000 of debt in order to enroll someone. The lowest I have seen is $7,500.

Posted on June 21, 2009 at 12:13 pm You should find some debt settler. There are many out there to solve your problem off course that will cost you but it will make you debt free for the time your baby born. Be safe in your movement so that you leave healthy.

Posted on June 21, 2009 at 9:05 pm Thank you for the correction Steven!I suppose debt settlement companies differ in both their service fees and payment structure. 15% of the total debt it is. Upfront. "Some settlement companies will charge 20-25% of the amount they settle the debt for, maybe that is what you were thinking of?"Perhaps...but when would the consumer know how much it is --when the debt settlement company hasn't yet negotiated with the creditors? Is this like a special arrangement with the settlement company, like a post-negotiation (with the creditors) fee--as opposed to an upfront/enrollment fee?

Posted on June 23, 2009 at 10:30 am