402: How to Negotiate With Creditors (Even If You're Behind on Payments)
The Clever Girls Know Podcast With Bola Sokunbi
Bola Sokunbi
4.8 • 931 Ratings
🗓️ 19 February 2026
⏱️ 13 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire;
If you're overwhelmed by credit card debt or behind on payments, negotiating with your creditors can make a real difference.
On this episode, I walk you through how to confidently talk to your creditors, lower your interest rates, reduce monthly payments, and request temporary relief.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- What to say (including a sample script)
- What to ask for: lower rates, waived fees, hardship options
- What to avoid saying on the phone
- How to escalate when you're told "no"
- How to work with a nonprofit credit counselor
- How to protect your credit score during negotiations
AND SO MUCH MORE
Even if you're already behind, it's not too late. You can do this.
More Clever Girl Finance Resources:
❤ Subscribe to the Clever Girl Finance newsletter for weekly motivation! clevergirlfinance.com/subscribe
❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books
❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages
❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog
❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | If you are drowning in bills or you're struggling to stay up to date with your credit card payments, |
| 0:04.9 | I want you to take a deep breath and know that you are not powerless. |
| 0:09.3 | You can negotiate with your creditors and this may be the lifeline that you need to reduce your |
| 0:14.7 | interest rates, reduce your payments potentially, and take back control of your finances. |
| 0:22.5 | Now, I know it can feel intimidating and you may even feel embarrassed to call your creditors to negotiate a payment plan, but let me tell you |
| 0:29.0 | this. They would rather have you negotiate a payment plan than default on your payments. So I'm going to |
| 0:33.9 | talk you through some key steps to help you negotiate with your creditors, even if you're behind on your payments. |
| 0:39.1 | And this isn't about shame. |
| 0:40.9 | This is about you advocating for yourself so you can get back on track with your finances. |
| 0:45.8 | Let's get into it. |
| 0:47.3 | Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Clever Girls Know podcast. |
| 0:51.0 | This is Bola Shokunbi. |
| 0:52.4 | I'm the founder and CEO of Clever Girl Finance. The Clever |
| 0:56.3 | Girls No Podcast is a podcast for women offering a space for conversations around personal finance, |
| 1:01.9 | business, life, and living. I'd love for you to subscribe to this podcast, and you can do that |
| 1:07.4 | everywhere you listen to your podcast episodes. And if you love what you're listening to, |
| 1:12.0 | be sure to leave a review so that other amazing women just like you can find this podcast too. |
| 1:17.2 | Also, don't forget to stop by Clevergirlfinance.com forward slash subscribe |
| 1:21.8 | and sign up for our weekly newsletter. |
| 1:24.7 | It's a great way to get motivation and accountability sent straight to your |
| 1:28.3 | inbox as you work on achieving your financial goals. We also have over 30 plus completely free |
| 1:34.1 | courses to help you on your financial journey. And if you haven't already, check out our YouTube |
... |
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