{"id":67305,"date":"2026-02-25T19:32:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T19:32:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:32:21","slug":"will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Will a debt collector settle for 20%?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-image is-image embed--float-none embed--size-medium\">\n<p>      <span class=\"img embed__content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/cf65b2a1-74c1-43b0-92b9-afc189122988\/thumbnail\/620x414\/ca208995afb4aaadb58fda5fe5074406\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg#\" alt=\"Breaking the bank \" height=\"414\" width=\"620\" class=\" lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/cf65b2a1-74c1-43b0-92b9-afc189122988\/thumbnail\/620x414\/ca208995afb4aaadb58fda5fe5074406\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg 1x, https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/cf65b2a1-74c1-43b0-92b9-afc189122988\/thumbnail\/1240x828\/96ec150051d039f0c43452efcb58be83\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg 2x\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/span><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\">\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__caption\">Settling your debt for a very low amount requires patience and leverage, but there&#8217;s no guaranteed playbook for success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                PM Images\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>                          <\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve stared at <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-is-excessive-credit-card-debt-what-to-do-about-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">a credit card balance<\/a><\/span> that you simply can&#8217;t pay off, you&#8217;ve probably done the mental math on whether you can offer the creditor a fraction of the balance and be done with it. After all, the idea of <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-is-the-success-rate-of-debt-settlement\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">settling your debt<\/a><\/span> for pennies on the dollar has a certain allure, especially when interest keeps stacking and <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-are-credit-card-minimum-payments-calculated\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">the minimum payments<\/a><\/span> barely make a dent.<\/p>\n<p>That pull gets stronger when you hear stories online about people <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/juggling-multiple-maxed-out-credit-cards-do-these-things-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">wiping out big credit card balances<\/a><\/span> for a fraction of what they owed. Some of those stories are real, though, and some leave out important details. And most don&#8217;t capture how unpredictable <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-to-negotiate-with-your-credit-card-company\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">debt settlement negotiations<\/a><\/span> can be from one account to the next, either.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s consistent, though, is the motivation behind the question. When finances are tight, people start looking for a way out, and offering a very low settlement, like 20% of the full balance, can appear to be a quick fix. But will a debt collector actually settle for that little? That&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll examine below.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/a68c45e313e3?s1=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fwill-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20-percent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow, sponsored, noopener\">Learn what debt relief options you qualify for now<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Will a debt collector settle for 20%?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The short answer is sometimes debt collectors will settle for 20% of the balance that you owe \u2014 but that low of a settlement is not typical, and it&#8217;s rarely the opening deal. A 20% settlement means the creditor or collection agency agrees to accept $2,000 on a $10,000 balance as payment in full. That&#8217;s a steep discount, and most debt collectors won&#8217;t jump at it unless certain conditions are in place. Here&#8217;s what usually shapes <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-is-the-lowest-amount-debt-collectors-will-settle-for-what-experts-say\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">how low a settlement can go<\/a><\/span>:<\/p>\n<p><strong>How old the debt is:<\/strong> Older, <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-serious-is-a-credit-card-charge-off-what-borrowers-should-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">charged-off accounts<\/a><\/span> are more likely to settle for deeper discounts. Once a creditor has written the balance off as a loss and sold or assigned it to a collection agency, that agency may have bought the debt for pennies on the dollar. That gives them more flexibility \u2014 and sometimes makes a 20% deal possible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who owns the debt:<\/strong> Original creditors (like major credit card issuers) tend to hold out for higher percentages. <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-happens-when-a-credit-card-charge-off-is-sold-to-a-debt-collector\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Third-party debt collectors<\/a><\/span> may accept less since they typically buy the debt for pennies on the dollar, but even then, a 20% settlement is usually a best-case outcome, not the norm.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your financial hardship:<\/strong> Debt collectors are more likely to entertain aggressive discounts <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-to-pause-debt-payments-in-a-financial-hardship\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">if you can credibly demonstrate hardship<\/a><\/span>, whether it&#8217;s a job loss, medical bills, divorce or another disruption that makes full repayment unrealistic. The more provable and documented the hardship is, the more negotiating room you may have.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your leverage and patience:<\/strong> Low settlements often come after <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/behind-on-credit-card-payments-what-to-do-within-90-days\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">months of missed payments<\/a><\/span> and prolonged back-and-forth with creditors. Debt collectors may test whether you&#8217;ll budge before they do and a 20% offer early in the process is more likely to be rejected than negotiated upward.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your ability to pay in a lump sum:<\/strong> Cash talks. Debt collectors are generally far more willing to discount heavily if you can offer a one-time settlement payment instead of offering a long payment plan. If you&#8217;re proposing a 20% settlement spread out over several months, the odds of an agreement drop significantly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The legal risk on the account:<\/strong> If a debt collector believes they can successfully <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-do-you-stop-wage-garnishment-by-a-debt-collector\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">sue and garnish wages<\/a><\/span>, they&#8217;re less likely to take a steep reduction. If the debt is nearing the statute of limitations or legal collection looks costly, they may be more open to a deep discount.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/a68c45e313e3?s1=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fwill-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20-percent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow, sponsored, noopener\">Find out how to start the debt forgiveness process today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to get the best outcome when settling debt<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you&#8217;re aiming for the lowest possible settlement, your strategy matters. Here&#8217;s what improves your odds:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Start with a plan, not a panic offer.<\/strong> Before you call, know your numbers. What&#8217;s the highest amount you can realistically pay in a lump sum to settle the account? What&#8217;s your walk-away point? Negotiations go better when you&#8217;re grounded in what you can actually afford.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lead low, but stay realistic.<\/strong> Opening with a low offer isn&#8217;t unusual, but be prepared for pushback. Debt collectors often counter higher, and the real outcome usually lands somewhere in between, so don&#8217;t anchor yourself to a single number.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clearly document your hardship.<\/strong> You don&#8217;t need to overshare, but <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-qualifies-as-a-financial-hardship-for-credit-card-debt-forgiveness\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">explaining why you can&#8217;t pay<\/a><\/span> in full matters. Offering a short, clear explanation of your financial strain can change the tone of the conversation and improve flexibility.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Consider working with a debt relief expert.<\/strong> Negotiating is stressful, and debt collectors do this all day. You probably don&#8217;t, though, which is why it can make sense to have <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/best-debt-relief-companies-plus-advice-borrowers-need-to-know-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">a debt relief expert<\/a><\/span> negotiate on your behalf. It&#8217;s not right for everyone, and fees matter, but in certain cases, it can improve outcomes <em>and<\/em> reduce the emotional toll.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Know when settlement isn&#8217;t the best tool.<\/strong> If your credit is still relatively intact or you can manage payments with a structured plan, alternatives like <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-is-a-debt-management-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">a debt management plan<\/a><\/span> or <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/debt-consolidation-what-is-how-does-it-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">consolidation loan<\/a><\/span> may preserve more of your financial footing. Settlement is powerful, but it&#8217;s not always the best approach.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The bottom line<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A debt collector <em>might<\/em> settle for 20%, but that outcome usually reflects specific conditions, patience, and leverage, not a guaranteed playbook. Most settlements land higher, and the real win is resolving the debt in a way you can actually sustain without creating a new financial mess down the road. If negotiating on your own feels overwhelming, getting help from a debt relief expert can shift the balance of power and help you reach a deal that puts the debt behind you.<\/p>\n<section class=\"content__body--footer\">\n<p class=\"content__meta--editors\">\n      Edited by<\/p>\n<p>                                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/team\/matt-richardson\/\" class=\"byline__author__link\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Matt  Richardson<\/a>\n                      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"content__body--footer\">\n      <!-- tags --><br \/>\n    <\/section>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20-percent\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Settling your debt for a very low amount requires patience and leverage, but there&#8217;s no guaranteed playbook for success. PM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67306,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Will a debt collector settle for 20%? - World News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Settling debt for $0.20 on the dollar sounds too good to be true, but is that type of agreement really realistic?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Will a debt collector settle for 20%? - World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Settling debt for $0.20 on the dollar sounds too good to be true, but is that type of agreement really realistic?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg\" \/><meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"998\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"News\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\"},\"headline\":\"Will a debt collector settle for 20%?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/\"},\"wordCount\":953,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"Top Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/\",\"name\":\"Will a debt collector settle for 20%? - World News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00\",\"description\":\"Settling debt for $0.20 on the dollar sounds too good to be true, but is that type of agreement really realistic?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Will a debt collector settle for 20%?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"description\":\"World News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"width\":581,\"height\":581,\"caption\":\"World News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\",\"name\":\"News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Will a debt collector settle for 20%? - World News","description":"Settling debt for $0.20 on the dollar sounds too good to be true, but is that type of agreement really realistic?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Will a debt collector settle for 20%? - World News","og_description":"Settling debt for $0.20 on the dollar sounds too good to be true, but is that type of agreement really realistic?","og_url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/","og_site_name":"World News","article_published_time":"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""},{"url":"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg","width":1920,"height":998,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"News","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/"},"author":{"name":"News","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2"},"headline":"Will a debt collector settle for 20%?","datePublished":"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/"},"wordCount":953,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","articleSection":["Top Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/","name":"Will a debt collector settle for 20%? - World News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-25T19:32:21+00:00","description":"Settling debt for $0.20 on the dollar sounds too good to be true, but is that type of agreement really realistic?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/will-a-debt-collector-settle-for-20\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Will a debt collector settle for 20%?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","name":"World News","description":"World News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization","name":"World News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","width":581,"height":581,"caption":"World News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2","name":"News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","medium":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1","medium_large":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=768&resize=768,0&ssl=1","large":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1","1536x1536":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1536&resize=1536,1536&ssl=1","2048x2048":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=2048&resize=2048,2048&ssl=1","colormag-highlighted-post":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=392&resize=392,272&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-medium":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=390&resize=390,205&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-small":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=130&resize=130,90&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=800&resize=800,445&ssl=1","colormag-default-news":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image-large":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1400&resize=1400,600&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-block-extra-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1155&resize=1155,480&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=600&resize=600,417&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-small-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=285&resize=285,450&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-medium-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=575&resize=575,198&ssl=1"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"News","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":false,"magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Settling your debt for a very low amount requires patience and leverage, but there&#8217;s no guaranteed playbook for success. PM","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Top Stories"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":56,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":5,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1",1200,630,false],"medium":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1",300,300,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/25\/099f5c8b-0f66-4f42-b594-6508ec0dafd4\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/e6d53bf56313de2c3c59106233cdd44b\/gettyimages-1680332920.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1",150,150,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"News","author_link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-32\">Top Stories<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}