• Check your credit report at least once a year.credit 3d sign image by onlinebewerbung.de from Fotolia.com
  
  If you have outstanding credit card debt, negotiating a lower payoff amount may be a good idea. According to the Federal Trade Commission, paying a company to negotiate a debt settlement on your behalf is unnecessary. You can do it yourself by calling the credit card company directly and keeping a few pointers in mind.
  
  

Speak With Someone of Authority

• When you call a credit card company, the call initially goes to the first line customer service representative. This is fine if you have basic questions about your account or want to check the due date of your next payment, but if your goal is to negotiate a settlement, customer service reps generally do not have the authority to do so. Ask to speak with a supervisor or manager. Once on the phone with management, inform him that your intent is to settle the debt and pay it off, not just make a payment towards the balance.
  
  

Start With a Low Offer

• Your goal is to make a lump-sum payment to the credit card company that will settle the debt once and for all. Your initial offer to the credit card company should be lower than the amount you can actually afford to pay. If your credit card debt is $2,000 and you can pay $1,500 towards that debt, offer $900. If they accept, you just saved yourself $600. If they make a counteroffer, you've left room to negotiate.
  
  

Negotiate Credit Reporting

• If you've made late payments on the credit card account, those late pays will appear on your credit report. This will lower your credit score. As part of the negotiation process, request that the company remove the late payment information. This is referred to as a goodwill request, where you request the company to make the adjustment as a goodwill gesture since you're paying off the account. Also, request that the company report the status of the account as paid instead of paid-settled. A settled account can lower your credit score, since it indicates that you paid less than you actually owed.
  
  

Get it in writing

• Even if the negotiations are resolved to your liking, don't pay until you get the details of the agreement in writing. Ask the company to send you a written agreement that covers everything agreed on during the phone call. The verbiage should include the exact payoff amount, and should state that your payment will settle the account and the company will not come after you for the difference. Once you receive this written agreement, then send the payment via cashiers check or U.S. Postal money order via certified mail, return receipt requested.