<prompt> Human: My husband has a lot of older debt 2-3 years that I am trying to take care of. I wrote a letter to one of his creditors explaining that we do not have the full amount, but I would like to settle for about 55 of the amount owed. It was a very nice letter following the format that I found in the wiki section of PF. I received a letter yesterday saying that my offer was rejected, and that because the debt is being reported to the credit bureaus, it cannot be settled on. Is this correct? Can I write back explaining that the debt will not be paid unless we can settle, or should I bite the bullet and pay the entire amount? Im really trying hard to fix his credit score and dont want to drag things out too much, but I also dont want to get screwed by tucking my tail and paying the full amount every time I get a rejection letter. Any advice? Thanks!  <response>: They have the right to refuse to settle. They are legally owed the full amount. Settlement is often done because its less of a hassle. 