Don't allow bill collectors to...

talk you into using post-dated checks, or providing your checking account details over the telephone. Never, in fact, give out any personal financial information over the phone or in your letters to the collectors. If you have agreed to make payments, use cashier's checks or money orders.

Don't buy the cashier's check or money order from the bank at which you normally bank. Yes, you may not have to pay a fee for this service but you don't want to give the collector any inkling of where you actually bank.

As a side note: If the collector has agreed to take $X as a monthly payment get not only that amount in writing but the number of months you will be paying. For example, if you agreed to pay $65 per month for 10 months be sure you have a letter from the debt collector stating this amount and length of time.

I do agree in most of your idea,s this in turn makes your financial identity sacred and secure.. This data are needed to be protected and not everyone should about it. And i like you idea of being transparent. This make deals not forgotten and prevent future conflicts.

sandalwood you are right.if these conditions are not respected there might show up conflicts and have a lot of bad days because of this.It happened to a good friend of mine and it took a while to sort it out.

Sandalwood, that is very good advice. I hadn't thought about that. You don't want to make monthly payments and then find out later they've added more interest or charges.

Years ago I had to pay my taxes in monthly payments.  I made the arrangements and I thought all was going well. The only problem was that the collectors kept calling on the phone.  Our of despiration I called my congressman who in returned called the IRS collections department.  Wow within 48 hours I received a personal with a hand delivered letter stating that they would no longer be calling me.  Now that's action.

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I can't count the number of times I've been encouraged to write a post dated check or to allow them to take a payment from my checking account. I just don't trust people that much with my banking information. The only time I ever made a payment over the phone was to the revenue office in my state for taxes owed. I figured if they wanted the information bad enough they would get it without my input. They took the one payment via phone and did not misuse the information.

Giving them information is like handing the keys to your house to a thief.  I tell them that the payment will be sent on a certain date and they can verify by the post mark that I indeed followed thru with my commitment.

Good advice here on this one. My best advice sometimes boils down almost to this: 'Trust no-one!'

But you've got to trust people sometimes, just make sure it's not over something that could get you in trouble, finacially or legally!

Sometimes so-called loved ones can't be trusted - isn't that sad? True though unfortunately.

I wouldn't trust friends with my money if I knew they had money problems themselves. I'd trust my mother implicitly, I'd trust my bank (up to a point). I wouldn't trust anybody who kept telling me they could be trusted!

Trust no-one! Or at least, always get it in writing.

It is amazing how little these collectors can know about you until you slip up and give them the information. And even when you know better and slip up you know they never miss it there is always that long pause and a lot of typing...lol sneaky bast@*#$