Hey folks, this might sound odd but I've forgotten nearly all of my debts. I do not know all the institutions I owe money to, how much I owe, etc. It's all been in collections for a few years, and I ignored the mail/phone calls all the while. I got my credit report a few months ago, but could not discern what I owed or to whom. So the question is, how does one find out their debts in a situation such as this?

I am not sure that I understand your question... It should be very easy from your credit report to determine whom claims you owe them money and in what amount. Use the contact information included in the credit report for each creditor to contact them and request an explanation (or validation) of the debt.

With that said, depending on the laws of your state, these may be outside of the statute of limitations to be collected and may be off your credit report in a few more years.

I understand what you're saying. I'll just get another report and make sure everything on it is legit, then go about contacting them. As an aside, do you think I should start with the ones who are currently still actively pursuing collection i.e. the ones who still call me? Seems like a logical place to start in my mind, but then again my mind got me in this mess to begin with.

And yeah, the statute of limitations is 6 years, and it's been about 4.

I would write down all the debt that you owe and start with the once that you can pay off with one-payment.

It really depends on what type of debts do you have. Usually you can negotiate with most creditors. I would contact them and see what you can work out.

It may be beneficial to pay off or settle the most recent debts.

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It is not smart to play it safe but it is safe to play it smart.

I agree, I will take it one step further and recommend that you follow a program to help you get out of this. Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman both have several good books on the topic. They have slightly different theories on paying off the debt but both their concepts are sound. I have not read much from Suze Orman to recommend a specific book but if you read Dave Ramsey I would recommend the Total Money Makeover.

Message boards are simply funny to read if you first look for humor, wit and a touch of sarcasm.

distinct, as far as I can tell you've got your debt under control and are in fact DEBT FREE!!!

After all, if one does not pick up their mail then they never received the bill. The same goes for phone calls, if you don't answer, you NEVER received the call.

You've gone this far, for who knows how long, and I think the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit to collect a debt is four (4) years.

Simply don't borrow anymore from anyone and if your creditors don't want to enforce their legal rights to obain a judgment they will forever waive that right once the statute of limitations expires.

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Gary Spicuzza, *SAFE
Copyright 1956
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*Self Appointed Financial Expert

Yes, message boards can be fun to read. I agree with that.

Statue of limitations is not always four years. It depends on the state you live in.

The suggestion not to borrow any money from anyone anymore is a very very unlikely scenario.

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It is not smart to play it safe but it is safe to play it smart.

You should contact a credit repair organization in order to have some one tell you what you should begin to pay in order to fix and improve your credit. If you just recently pulled your credit you may alert unpaid creditors to your new activity and they may even begin to collect from you again hence re-establishing the statue of limitation again. Don't doubt a debt collector. Many agencies have been known to make a payment to themselves for you in order to re-validate your debt and begin to collect on it for 4 more years.

Find a certified credit specialist to do this properly for you.