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.