Part of the C4 System for Credit Card Debt Settlement is a speedy credit score recovery method. Preparing BEFORE you stop making your payments is critical. Here’s an excerpt from The Credit Card Cure that has some great advice.

Preparing for Rapid FICO Recovery while preparing to stop paying your credit cards!

• Get a secured credit card now
  

  These cards are really similar to a debit card but the use is reported to the credit bureaus. Get one at your local bank, credit union or online.
  

  The reason to get this card is that you will need several credit lines to rapidly build-up your score after your settlements. You will be closing the cards you settle with so this will provide a credit card for your use as well as a report to the bureaus from an unsecured credit source.
  

  The sooner you get the card the better – older is better. This card MAY be a good place to save your payments for a settlement.
  

• Get a copy of your credit report now
  

  Go to www.annualcreditreport.com now and get your free annual report and pay for all three FICO scores. You will want to have your reports with scores now for two reasons: 1) to use as a credit score benchmark for your recovery, 2) to become familiar with how negatives are reported and 3) to be sure you have all your debts on your Credit Card Debt Worksheet and 4) check any old debts against the statute of limitations to determine of some are too old.
  

  Write to me for a copy of my article on how to read your credit report. It’s like Latin…or Sanskrit…you know it means important things but who can understand it!!
  

• Summarize your Credit Card Debts on the Worksheet
  

  This is a critical step because 1) you do not want to miss any of the debts 2) you are probably more in debt than you think 3) you will want to have this info to prioritize your settlements and 4) you will want to have this info to help you with the next step
  

• Choose 4-10 accounts that will help you recover.
  

  You will want to have oldest possible accounts and a variety of credit types (installment, credit cards, mortgages, etc.).
  

  These are the accounts that you will use to recover – with 2X per month payments and low use of available credit.
  

• Plan a place to save
  

  Remember, you will need 10-25% of the balances on your accounts in order to settle. You need to have a place to save the money that will not be taken in offset (!!!!!) and will be safe from your other inevitable needs.
  

  Consider having a friend or relative hold it for you.
  

   

• Take time to let it sink-in that your score is headed south
  

  Accept how far south it will go and how long it will be gone. Some members are seeing declines of 100 points or more. But, recall how much you are paying for that score and how much anxiety the debt is causing you.
  

  Think of it like a friendship that has gone bad and you need some time apart. When you are re-united, I bet absence will have made the heart grow in fondness!
  

• Get ready to piggyback
  

  Identify a friend or two who will allow you to piggyback on their good credit after you settle. That is, a spouse, friend, parent (be careful!), or significant other who will let you sign on as a co-signer on one or more of their accounts. This is a big help to speed your recovery – it is also a huge favor to ask. That’s why I recommend you start to think about it now.