If I Negotiate a Payoff, Will It Hurt My Score?
Settling your debt for less than what you owe will likely lower your credit score a lot.
The usual practice is for the issuer to report the number of days the account was delinquent and that the debt was settled
for less than the full amount.Talk with a consumer counseling agency to see if a debt-management plan would work. That
could be less damaging to your score than a settlement. Read more...