Your creditors do not get paid while you are putting money in your debt settlement trust account, and this is what allows us to gain negotiating leverage. Your account continues to age, collection activity continues, and your creditors typically become more willing to settle your debt at a discount, while you are accumulating funds to be used as lump-sum payments. At some point, preferably within 18 months or less, we’ll reach an agreement with your creditors and pay them a lump sum (using the funds from your trust account), to settle that debt at a discount – typically 50 cents on the dollar.