Small debt- worth it to settle? Too small for debt consolidation cards
Hello! So for some backstory, I’m on disability, have been for the last year now, it barely makes ends meet.
In 2021 I lost my full time job and began really struggling more and more to maintain part time work due to severely worsening health.
I have two credit accounts that are now closed- their last payments were fall of 2023.
One account for $1,560 USD
Another for $1,458 USD.
In 2019 I got lied to into putting oral surgical debt onto high APR cards, as the surgery was urgent and supposedly had to be paid in full day of, so my options were limited, which meant they became credit card debt and not medical, and could be counted against my credit. So that means they get to sit on my credit report now. I was 19 when the debt went on there, I truly didn’t know better and know my rights around medical debt at the time, I learned a hard lesson. But when I no longer could work safely and was housing insecure, I had to default on the remaining debt on both cards.
Is it worth it to try and settle the debt now for a percentage? I could feasibly get a loan from family to cover 30-40% of each. My credit took a major hit from them and is only starting to recover. What is the pros and cons of settling and where would I even start? I’m needing to buy a car this year and I know I should have never let it get like this for such little debt but finances were so dire I was couch surfing for a year. It’s too small for a lot of major debt consolidation options and cards.
Thanks