Jorge Newbery erased his debts without filing bankruptcy. Now you can, too.
Like many Americans, Newbery struggled with debt. But unlike most people, he owed more than $26 million. Creditors swarmed after a natural disaster devastated his multi-million dollar business. The stress was crushing. He needed a way out — and what he discovered will amaze you.
His breakthrough came practically by accident. One of his creditors made a sloppy legal mistake, and he battled the creditor all the way to the Missouri Court of Appeals. The court ruled that the entire debt — nearly $6 million — was "inadvertently extinguished.” It didn't have to be paid. It was completely eliminated.
Newbery applied the powerful techniques he had learned to all his other debts. The results were astonishing. One after another, his debts were either settled or gone forever.
Now, Newbery reveals his proven debt-cleansing methods. In simple, step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn how to… * Assert your rights and defend yourself against creditors. * Stop making payments — and turn that to your advantage. * End harassing collection calls. * Dispute your debts to stack the odds in your favor. * Uncover deficiencies that can put money in your pocket. * Protect your assets from creditors (100% legally). * Negotiate the best possible settlements. * Be debt-free for life.
Debt Cleanse shows you how to gain leverage over your creditors. You can settle your unaffordable debts for pennies on the dollar – and not pay some at all. Don't let your debt burden you one more day.
Jorge P. Newbery is a successful entrepreneur, distressed debt and real estate investor, endurance athlete, and author. He turned around some of the country's most troubled housing complexes in amassing a portfolio of 4,000 apartments across the USA from 1992 - 2005. However, a natural disaster triggered a financial collapse in which he lost everything and emerged over $26 million in debt. He never filed bankruptcy. Instead he developed strategies to gain leverage over creditors to settle debts at huge discounts, or simply did not pay them at all. He is a veteran of dozens of court battles, once fighting a creditor to the Missouri Court of Appeals. The entire debt (over $5,800,000!) was inadvertently extinguished due to sloppy legal work.
As an athlete, Newbery raced bicycles for a living from 1986 - 1990 as a Category 1. He competed in the 1988 Olympic Trials and was 4th in the Spenco 500, a nonstop 500-mile bike race televised on ESPN. He also raced for the Costa Rican National Team in the Tour of Mexico, was 2nd in the 1987 Southern California State Championship Road Race, plus held the Green Jersey in the 1987 Vulcan Tour. Newbery also runs and has completed over 70 marathons and ultramarathons. In 2012, he was the overall winner of the Chicago Lakefront 50K. At 46-years-old, he was double the age of the 24-year-old second-place finisher.
Today, Newbery helps others crushed by unaffordable debts to rebuild their lives. Jorge is Founder and CEO of American Homeowner Preservation (AHP), a socially responsible hedge fund which purchases nonperforming mortgages from banks at big discounts, then shares the discounts with families to settle their mortgages at terms many borrowers find "too good to be true." Jorge's response to the nation's mortgage crisis creates meaningful social and financial returns for investors, while keeping families in their homes. AHP's mission is to facilitate win-win-win solutions for homeowners, investors and lenders.
"Burn Zones: Playing Life's Bad Hands" is Jorge's autobiographical account of how he was pushed to his physical and mental limits during his time of strife, and how he overcame the challenges he faced. "Debt Cleanse: How To Settle Your Unaffordable Debts For Pennies On The Dollar (And Not Pay Some At All)" shares Jorge's strategies and provides step-by-step instructions to get out of debt.
Jorge is a regular contributor to Huffington Post and other publications, and speaks regularly on debt, investing, finance and housing issues.
If you are in a large amount of debt and unable to survive, this book may be for you. However, use caution when following these guidelines. The author himself was millions of dollars in debt when he created this method of clearing it. This is not a guaranteed strategy and will take years to even possibly work.
Debt Cleanse appears to be a one-of-a-kind in its “Get out of debt free (almost)” approach. I have mixed feelings about the book.
It does provide very detailed information about the different types of debt and how to avoid letting debt ruin your life, which it can do as so many people quickly discover. We live in a society with a buy now, enjoy now, pay (a lot more) later mentality. This is a very detailed book that goes through each type of debt in detail and how it works for and against you.
I immediately noticed the frequent references to the author’s website/company where you can get out of debt with their help - at a discounted fee for their legal services. Wait a minute. If you follow all the advice in this book, do you end up paying this company ten cents on the dollar that the author recommends you pay, (if that) to the rest of your creditors? I highly doubt it.
What I didn’t like about this book: First of all was the advice given to keep all the money you suddenly decide not to use to pay your debts as a “cash-stash” which you will then use to help negotiate either paying a minimal amount on the original debt OR to buy items you need (eg. a car) out right. Not that it’s a bad thing to keep saving cash or to pay cash for such things. My issue is that many people who find themselves in a lot of debt often struggle with managing money in the first place and the idea of “stashing” larger and larger sums of money away for that rainy day seems a little risky and possibly unlikely to happen.
Second issue I had was with this solution- if they get a judgement and start garnishing your wages, just quit and get a different job ... more than once. Not sure this is sound advice at all. This is preceded by the advice not to own anything, because if you don’t own anything, it can’t be taken away from you. But in not owning it yourself, you have to decide who you will trust to own it for you. That could be a little risky.
Perhaps my biggest issue with the entire book was the attitude that it’s okay to borrow or use money, sign agreements, loans etc and then go back on your agreement and not take responsibility for your actions or your debt. It’s a “them-versus-us” mentality where it’s okay to take what we don’t pay for and too bad for the creditor, because after all, they don’t need the money... they’re rich. Which seems to follow closely along with the attitude that the creditors don’t deserve to be rich because they’ve forced all these poor people to live beyond their means.
No, they really didn’t force you to take out that credit card or buy those items on credit. The author suggests that it’s fundamentally okay not to pay for what you have taken. Where I grew up, that’s called stealing and it’s wrong.
That said, there is some great advice in this book about how to deal with debt-collectors and repo men - all apparently based on the law, what’s legal and what isn’t.
While I’d recommend checking the advice against the laws in your state or country, there’s certainly nothing wrong with being educated and aware of your legal rights.
There are plenty of unscrupulous debt collectors around and this book may be invaluable when it comes to protecting your rights.
It may surprise you to hear that I would recommend anyone who is struggling with a lot of debt, to spend a few dollars and buy this book.
There is a lot of information here that could very well be invaluable and help someone to crawl out from under a huge pile of debt. Be careful. Just because something is legal doesn’t make it right.
I wish this book included some information to help people avoid getting buried in debt in the first place. Like saving that money and paying cash for items, budgeting, avoiding high interest loans and living within your means and balancing wants and needs.
Read the book to educate yourself on what can and can’t be done about your debt. Follow the advice given at your own risk.
I find myself pondering my review of Debt Cleanse by Jorge P. Newbery. There are things that the author recommends that really make sense like disputing items on your credit report and checking every detail of your credit report for errors.
There are other things like settling debt for less than the amount owed that could provide huge relief to consumers but... could also lower their credit score. Something to be aware of.
Negative credit can stay on your credit for up to eleven years. That’s a long time to have debt settlements show on your report.
One thing I really liked about this book was the way that every type of debt is discussed in detail and there are so many forms in the back. Good resource. I think debt free is a beautiful way to live!! Not sure that I’m sold on debt settlement .
"Watch out America; get ready to cleanse your debt! Debt Cleanse: How To Settle Your Unaffordable Debts For Pennies by Jorge P. Newbery is coming in at the right time. America is in debt from national to state and also municipal. The whole system is in a downward spiral. The bigger concern is personal debt, mortgage, student loans, credit card and car loan debts. If you are drowning in debt, like many of your fellow Americans, it is a frightening and disabling effect on you and your family. Newbery’s solution is Debt Cleanse. Debt Cleanse, I found out quickly, is not just another “how to get yourself out of debt” book with chapter after chapter of theory, Newbery comes right out and hands you specific step by step instructions for whatever mess you are in. The great thing is his steps are from his own playbook. Newbery is ridding himself of millions in debt with his own system, and it is working. You can read his other book, Burn Zones: Playing Life's Bad Hands to read his story of how it got there.
Will it work for you? You bet it will! I myself was drowning in debt years ago. I didn’t have Debt Cleanse to show me the way. I inadvertently stumbled on the key points of his book through my own trial and error and now I am debt fee. I only wish I Debt Cleanse had been published back then! I would have saved myself a lot of gray hairs.
Newbery’s easy going style of writing is not evasive. He is not going to berate you because you are in debt. He and the Debt Cleanse network he has set up are going to be your coach in the ring when you are slugging it out. This book is a must read for everyone. I will be mentioning it to all of my friends in the future." TBR-TopBookReviewers
Debt Cleanse is the second book by Jorge P. Newbery. His first book, Burn Zones, was an autobiographical account of an entrepreneur’s rise from newspaper delivery boy to real estate tycoon. At the end of that book, Mr. Newbery’s real estate empire is destroyed by an ice storm that devastates his largest apartment complex. That storm and the loss it caused Mr. Newbery is what led to this book. It also led me to look at Mr. Newberry in a much more negative way. More on that later. For now, let’s discuss this book, which needs to be done on two levels.
On the surface, this is a book about how to get rid of or settle debts for pennies on the dollar, or in some cases, for nothing at all. Prior to doing so, Mr. Newbery walks you through the steps of protecting what assets you may have. He wants you to have nothing in your name so should you end up with legal judgements against you, creditors will have nothing they can take. Once that’s accomplished, the fun starts. There are chapters devoted to the various types of debt people incur, from secured loans, such as a mortgage, to unsecured loans, such as a credit card. The basics of disputing each of these debts are similar, many of the initial steps are the same. Specific tactics that are needed for each type of debt are provided in their chapter. The book concludes with a chapter called “Action Tools” followed by 6 appendixes which have detailed letters, questionnaires, document requests, etc. to be used by the debtor in his fight with creditors.
I have no reason to believe that the methods outlined would not work. Mr. Newbery attests that he’s used them, as well as being on the receiving side at the hedge fund he founded called American Homeowner Preservation (“AHP”), which purchases nonperforming mortgages then tries to settle with the homeowners.
One very important caveat: the Kindle book I’m reviewing has a copyright date of 2016. The web site debtcleanse.com, to which Mr. Newbery directs the reader throughout this book does not look at all like the web site discussed in the book. In the book, readers are told they can use the web site to fill out the sample letters, list debt, even crowdfund legal fees if needed. The current website requires a monthly fee for use. The only thing free is a trial month.
The second review this book requires is of the social commentary that appears throughout. The ice storm that destroyed Mr. Newbery’s fortune also seems to have destroyed some of his integrity. While he does say to review what you’ve done wrong, the next step is to find and blame anyone and everyone else you can. Mr. Newbery doesn’t want you to feel bad. It’s not your fault. You’ve been tricked. So, let’s blame others, it can be easily justified. He doesn’t seem to see his own hypocrisies. For example, he rails against the insurance company that “refused to pay our full claim and instead forced us to litigate, eventually wearing me down until I capitulated and accepted a big discount on the insurance settlement.” Yet this very tactic is one of the steps in getting rid of every type of debt listed in this book. He rails against the elites but runs a hedge fund.
Mr. Newbery talks about the wealthiest 5% of Americans as if they’re only interest is sucking all the wealth of the rest of the 95% of Americans. Elites, who apparently earn at least $100,000 a year, all stick together. Here’s some of his shocking commentary from the chapter on medical debt: “Doctors may be too busy killing patients to reason that killing your debt is their best option.” “Request a jury trial, as most regular Americans will better understand your plight. Judges earn an average of over $100,000 annually and tend to be from the elite, or at least buddies with them, and may feel more strongly for their friends.” So, doctors are killers and their judge friends aren’t capable of being impartial. Mr. Newbery justifies not paying your medical debt and tarnishes two professions at the same time.
It’s unfortunate that this type of commentary is rampant throughout the book. Especially as Mr. Newbery is co-founder of two companies that actually suck wealth from the poorest of the poor. AHP, a hedge fund which buys distressed mortgages for pennies on the dollars and Debt Cleanse, which takes a monthly fee from those already deeply in debt. In the book, Mr. Newbery both advises against mortgages and gives you strategies to reduce your existing mortgage. He also advises against credit counseling services, which usually require a onetime fee, then creates a company that requires a monthly subscription.
I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars solely on the premise of reducing your debt, which is the focus of the book. If you find yourself under a load of debt and you need a strategy to get out of it, this book should help you on your way. Be advised that the higher the debt owed, the longer it’ll likely take you to get it resolved or dismissed.
One last note. If you’re in debt, see if you can borrow the book from the library or a friend. That would make Mr. Newbery proud.
Debt Cleanse: How to Settle Your Unaffordable Debts for Pennies on the Dollar (And Not Pay Some at All) - by Jorge P. Newbery. ISBN 978-1-61961-322-5. Published by Community Books, LLC, 2016, 2018. Reviewer received book from Author as e-book in pdf format. Review by Chris Phillips According to the author and company that this book is basically an advertisement for, www.debtcleanse.com, Americans have been duped by creditors, credit card companies and other corporate entities into carrying on several self-serving relationships based on long-term or extensive term debt. Mr. Newbery narrates the story of his problems when an unexpected natural disaster turned his business and enterprises into huge debts. He went from successful to broke and owning $26 million in debt in the matter of a few days following an ice storm. Instead of following the way of many in America, from the poorest to the wealthiest, he did not choose bankruptcy. He made the decision to not pay his debts, any of them. He embarked on this plan and has adhered to that and learned the lessons that he presents here in this book. Reading the introduction and the first 3 chapters leaves one with the impression that he was able to do this with large amounts of help from friends and especially the company that is referenced very frequently in those pages. However, persistence is rewarded in the following chapters and especially when Chapter 15 Action Tools is thoroughly understood. For each of them, from Chapter 4 on, Newbery presents a step by step process to become debt-free. As he warns in the prologue, introduction and throughout the book, this is not a quick process. This is not an easy process. This is a one-time only process. At the end of all this work and stress, though, anyone can be debt-free. Chapter 15 and the forms presented there are the most important feature of this book, as long as the uses for these forms are understood from the explanations in the previous chapters. Each is a fill-in-the-blank type which the reader can adapt with the needed information and have an accurate, legal and properly worded communication device for their specific situation. The writing is consistent and well-considered. Newbery does an excellent job presenting situations, solutions and examples that will guide the most beleaguered person in clearing their debt and living debt-free. With the exception of the frequent references to the Debt Cleanse website, anyone can use the information presented herein and do the same work Newbery did and is still doing to relieve debt that is overburdening them. This book can be recommended to any reader. The .pdf version of the book is highly recommended for anyone wishing to utilize the forms in the last chapter. These forms can be printed directly from the book, if a printer is accessible. If the reader owns Adobe Acrobat full version, these forms can be filled out on a computer before printing. Recommended highly 5 Stars.
As someone who was put into pretty deep debt by my ex-husband (tanking my credit rating for years), I can say that this book has some excellent tips and advice for people who are experiencing soul-crushing debt. The author clearly has a lot of personal experience with debt, and he generously shares his knowledge with us so that if we're having problems with this, we can find legal solutions. The book is organized cleanly, looking at specific types of debt like mortgages, student loans, credit card debt, and medical bills. There are nine types that he gives specific strategies for. There's also a section on living debt-free. A section of action tools at the end are further guides. I wish I had this book back when I was having debt issues with my ex. While not everything would have worked for me or us, there are definitely nuggets here which would have helped keep the wolves from the door.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy to read and give my honest opinion.
Debt Cleanse is an honest approach to one mans dealing with debtors with substantial debts. Debt collectors are tenacious and this book gives you some helpful hints at getting through to them.
What did I like? This book was more directed toward people dealing with litigation and aggressive debt collectors, but I read between the lines on most chapters. Basic idea is to just close out the debt and to debt no more. Cash is the best way to go and quit living outside your cash flow.
Would I buy this book/recommend? It’s a much more aggressive style than I have usually seen in most debt books. If your more tenacious than debt collectors than you will enjoy its rewards.
Thoughts for the author? You sir are a pit bull. I’m astounded as to some of the lengths you go to but in all honesty you are not wrong.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy to read and give my honest opinion.
Debt Cleanse is an honest approach to one mans dealing with debtors with substantial debts. Debt collectors are tenacious and this book gives you some helpful hints at getting through to them.
What did I like? This book was more directed toward people dealing with litigation and aggressive debt collectors, but I read between the lines on most chapters. Basic idea is to just close out the debt and to debt no more. Cash is the best way to go and quit living outside your cash flow.
Would I buy this book/recommend? It’s a much more aggressive style than I have usually seen in most debt books. If your more tenacious than debt collectors than you will enjoy its rewards.
Thoughts for the author? You sir are a pit bull. I’m astounded as to some of the lengths you go to but in all honesty you are not wrong.
Debt Cleanse by Jorge P. Newberry is a book that describes how you can try to get rid of your debt. This book gives a list of examples of ways to thwart collection agencies who are attempting to collect. It also tries to sell the reader on the idea of going on a website and listing all your debts which I personally think is a terrible idea that gives an unknown entity way too much information. Some of the information provided is useful but other parts are downright ridiculous. Personally, if you are in a situation where you are hounded by creditors for unpaid debts this book might help you. However, if you just want to decrease your debt and increase your credit score this book is not for you. Beware buyer the strategies used in this book are guaranteed to lower your credit score. Debt Cleanse gives examples of how to stop creditor collections.
Debt Cleanse is an interesting read. There is some good information contained in this book regarding debt. Income inequality plays a big part in today’s debt, as well as the thought process of buy now, pay later. Management of income is not something that is currently taught in most schools so the knowledge has to come from somewhere else. For many young adults, they have learned this from their parents, good or bad. My biggest issue with the book is the attitude that a person should not take responsibility for the debt he or she has incurred but should instead use methods described in the book to settle or maybe avoid the debt. I believe that there is something to be learned from this book. However, I don’t know is most of the methods described in the book will work for the average consumer. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.
Debt Cleanse is an interesting read. There is some good information contained in this book regarding debt. Income inequality plays a big part in today’s debt, as well as the thought process of buy now, pay later. Management of income is not something that is currently taught in most schools so the knowledge has to come from somewhere else. For many young adults, they have learned this from their parents, good or bad. My biggest issue with the book is the attitude that a person should not take responsibility for the debt he or she has incurred but should instead use methods described in the book to settle or maybe avoid the debt. I believe that there is something to be learned from this book. However, I don’t know is most of the methods described in the book will work for the average consumer. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.
This book is meant to help individuals who have debt they want to get rid of. It is for people in the United States. There are step by step instructions to make the process go smoother and easier. Steps includes; asserting your rights, stopping payments, stop harassing calls, despite debts, uncover deficiencies, protect your assets and how to negotiate the best deal.
This book gives strategies to help reduce personal debt and fight against the debt run financial system. The writing is easy to understand and reference are given. Worksheets are included. I believe that those in significant debt would benefit from the strategies revealed in the book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a wonderful book. I would recommend it to anyone who is dealing with any kind of creditor. In this Book it is laid out for you exactly how to deal with the creditor with or it be mortgage or some other debt. I wish I had this book a few years @go it would have helped us save our home from a bank that had gotten sued many times for not having deeds to homes and foreclosing on them then buying said feeds at sheriff sales. The federal government sued them and a few other banks for illegal activity as far as mortgage go. Once you find out if yours is one this Book shows you how to deal with them and when to call on an attorney for help.
I received a copy of this ebook from Onlinebookclub.org in exchange for an honest review.
The advice in this book admittedly made me wary. While the author talks about embracing a poor credit score, or even not having a credit score, that kind of thing can stick with you for a long time and make large purchases like houses or cars impossible. There is also a lot of plugging of the authors website, which makes me wonder if that was the point of the book.
There is a list of common mistakes debt-collection agencies make and other insights, but I don't know how much I'd recommend following these suggestions.
Debt Cleanse is well written and organized by debt type. Jorge Newbery was a successful real estate developer that owned several complexes but lost it all from a natural disaster. He refused to file for bankruptcy and was able to discover several loopholes that allowed him to get out of millions in debt. The book list many loopholes and tricks for reducing numerous types of debt. I was impressed by how comprehensive the book was and easy to read.
The premise of "Debt Cleanse" is that people often become overburdened with debt simply through ordinary living. They want to attend college, have a car to drive to work, or own a home. These perfectly reasonable desires generate student loans, vehicle loans, and mortgages. Or someone may become seriously ill and face enormous medical bills. Income inequality exacerbates the problem. Author Jorge P. Newberry takes a firm stand against predatory lending. Full text of my review is HERE
Super informative, packed with great information that you can use to settle most of the debts weighting you down. I estimate the techniques advocated within will work for the vast majority of debtors and debts, although not 100% of the time (unfortunately, as Newbery reminds us, there is no magic bullet).
The book is well-written and explained in such a way that even finance novices can understand. If you can't afford your debts, this book is well worth the price of admission.
I was already a Newbery fan but this book is very different from his memoir , Burn Zones. This is all practical financial advise. Though I’m not having debt problems I believe it’s possible for anybody to find themselves in a bind. After reading this book I feel confident I can handle it if these things happen to me. I think the book will also help me make better decisions going forward and guiding my children as they become adults.
This is a good book for people who simply cannot pay their debt and need to know the laws and loopholes of how to get out from under it. I initially thought this book would about ways to reduce your debt through strategy, so it wasn't really what I was looking for. However, it a good book for someone who absolutely has no way to ever pay their debt. It outlines legal rights and laws to protect them, and where to seek help, if they find themselves in this situation.
This book breaks it all down for you .How to clean up your debt.Debt hits all of us unless your rich.But as a average working stiff it can cause you severe stresss.This book will help you see how to get back to your normal credit and hopefully teach you enough to avoid pitfalls in the future.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
One of my biggest problems when dealing with debt was stress. This book offers a unique way to look at debt and just get past the emotions. I highly recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a wonderful resource for anyone wanting to either get out of debt or learn how to manage debt, finances, credit cards, etc. I really enjoyed this book and found some amazing tips and advice on managing my finances! Highly recommend!
Jorge Newberry does an amazing job explaining how to get rid of debt. This book was easy to follow and read. I have recommended highly to everyone I know that are avid nonfiction readers. I wish this book would have been around when I was younger because it could have been very beneficial.
Honest and in-depth advice for reaching your full potential. This advice is presented in easy to follow language that can be broken up and applied in pieces at a time.
here is a summary of content. boy buys 6million of stuff he can't afford, boy doesn't want to pay back, boy stops paying creditors and then sues "for pennies on dollar". the end. you're welcome.
Well written, well researched, chocked full of leg as l forms, etc. No doubt a legitimate way to get out of debt. I don't feel its ethical however to weasel your way out of debt you put yourself in.