Debt Settlement Credit Score Ding VS High Stress and Worry

Just came across this article by Susan Megge that makes a valid point about credit score and debt settlement: what is more important: keeping a high credit score (which may costs you much stress and worry about keeping up with payments) or clearing your debt with a temporary credit ding and lowering your stress by [...]

Will debt settlement affect my credit score (FICO)?

Yes. More often than not, being in debt, your credit accounts already have, or are, in the process of being reported negatively to the major credit reporting agencies. Depending on how long you have been delinquent in payments, negotiating and settling these debts for good will have an overall positive effect on your credit score. [...]