Debt settlement is a process which is initiated by the borrower once he fails to pay the extra amount that has accumulated over the time because of his inability to repay his debt. The borrower fails to make the monthly payments and this accumulates the money adding the unpaid monthly amount and interest on that amount to his credit.

Generally the borrower has two options at this time; he can either opt for bankruptcy or he can initiate a debt settlement process. The debt settlement process generally involves a third party which is often a company that settles the issue. Such a company initiates the negotiations with the bank and settles the credit debts . The borrower is generally asked to pay some of the outstanding amount and then he has to make a promise to pay the remaining amount.

When you stop paying the monthly installments, the minimum installments, of the creditor, the credit keeps adding up, that results in late fee and on-going interest. When this balance increases, the debtor looks to enter into a debt settlement either through a lawyer or through the debt settlement companies.

The settlement companies may charge a monthly fee or an upfront fee for the debt settlement solutions. There are companies which only charge once the settlement has been reached and there are no upfront or monthly payments. They only charge a percentage of the total outstanding amount for that purpose.