How to Resolve Debt With Kinum

Legal Expert
Sarah Edwards, BS

Sarah Harris is a professional researcher and writer specializing in legal content. An Emerson College alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the prestigious Boston institution.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: Kinum, Inc. is a debt collection company based out of Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. It handles medical debt, student debt, and a variety of consumer debts. If you’ve been sued by Kinum, SoloSuit can help. Use SoloSuit to file an Answer with the court, then use SoloSettle to negotiate a lower settlement and resolve your debt once and for all.

Chances are you’d never heard of Kinum, Inc. until you received a notification about your debt. But before long, Kinum representatives began calling you every day. Now, you may even be facing a debt collection lawsuit.

Stay calm. Resolving your debt is easier than you might realize. Just use the following guide to respond to a lawsuit and negotiate a lower settlement amount.

If you're facing a lawsuit, start drafting your Answer with SoloSuit.

What is Kinum, Inc.?

Kinum is a debt collection company that operates from locations in Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio. The company specializes in debt recovery, serving industries ranging from healthcare to small businesses to education. If you’ve been contacted by Kinum collections, it’s because the company is seeking to collect on an unresolved debt.

Is Kinum a legitimate company?

Kinum, Inc. is a legitimate debt collection company and has been in operation since 2008. However, it was originally called Fidelis Asset Management.

Kinum has had dozens of complaints submitted against it with the Better Business Bureau and even more complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Many complaints allege that Kinum was seeking to collect on debt that was not legitimate or that it failed to verify the debt. That’s why it’s crucial to verify your debt before moving forward with a settlement offer.

How do I contact Kinum, Inc.?

Contacting Kinum is fairly straightforward. You can call the toll-free Kinum phone number (888-281-1750) or fill out the contact form on the company’s website. There is no master physical address, though the website lists the address for each of its locations.

How to Respond to Kinum debt collection

If you’ve received phone calls from Kinum, Inc. — or even a Summons for a debt collection lawsuit — you need to act strategically. Here’s what to do, from initial contact to negotiating a settlement.

Report FDCPA violations

Consumers are protected from aggressive debt collection practices by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This federal statute prevents debt collectors from such tactics as:

Calling you multiple times per day.
Failing to identify themselves as debt collectors.
Contacting you prior to 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Threatening you with arrest over past debt.
Contacting your friends, family members, or co-workers about your debt.
Using vulgar or offensive language.
Contacting you after receiving a Cease and Desist Letter.
Refusing to validate your debt.

Kinum representatives are bound by these legal standards. Violations can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) using the FTC website or by calling 877-382-4357. You can also report violations to the CFPB online or by calling 855-411-2372.

File an Answer to a debt lawsuit against Kinum

If you’re being sued for past debt, you need to act fast. In many jurisdictions, you only have two weeks to file an Answer with the court. An Answer communicates your willingness to fight the lawsuit.

Failing to meet this deadline can result in a default judgment in favor of Kinum, Inc. If this happens, the judge may award Kinum legal fees or debt collection fees, and you’ll lose your chance to negotiate a lower settlement.

Looking for extra help? Watch this video for insights on how to respond to a debt lawsuit summons:

Verify your debt with Kinum

It’s always important to verify that the debt is yours before proceeding further. Use SoloSuit to send a Debt Validation Letter. This letter will confirm that the debt is yours by asking Kinum to:

Identify your original creditor.
Record the amount of your original debt.
List any previous payments.
Connect you to the debt.
Document the amount currently owed.

If Kinum doesn’t have enough information to connect you to the debt, you have a good chance of fighting the lawsuit in court. Even better, it may drop the lawsuit and give up on collecting from you.

But if the debt is legitimately yours, you can try to negotiate a lower settlement.

Use SoloSettle to settle your debt with Kinum

SoloSettle makes it easy to start negotiations for a settlement. After all, most debt collectors prefer accepting a lower settlement to going through a lengthy legal process.

Through SoloSettle, you might offer to pay 60% of your original debt. Kinum may reject this offer, but it will likely send a counteroffer. You can accept or reject this offer. The point is to continue negotiating until you reach an agreement that you both agree on.

Let’s look at an example.

Example: Katie was initially stunned when she received notice of a debt collection lawsuit. Having never been sued before, she wasn’t sure what to do. Thankfully, she discovered SoloSuit, which helped her file an Answer with the court. That gave her some time to verify that the debt was hers. Then, she used SoloSettle to kick off negotiations. While Kinum didn’t accept her initial offer to pay 60% of the original debt, Katie gratefully accepted the counteroffer of 67%. Now that her debt is resolved, she’s following a payment plan and working to rebuild her personal credit.

Start negotiating today with SoloSettle.

Get your debt settlement in writing

Always get your debt settlement agreement in writing. This prevents dishonest debt collectors from going around you and seeking a default judgment even after you settle your debt.

The same applies to your written correspondence. Save your emails, letters, and other documents to protect yourself fully. SoloSettle makes this step easy because all communications go through the SoloSettle app software.

Experience life after debt

Resolving your debt is easy when you have the right strategy. Negotiating a lower settlement will save you money as well as ensure that you get out from under debt as soon as possible.

Settle with SoloSettle

Make an Offer

How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states

Here's a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:

The Ultimate 50 State Guide

Debt collector guides

Are you being contacted by a debt collector? We’re making guides on how to resolve debt with each one.

Arbitration

If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a great way to legally resolve debt, but it's usually best to consider it as a last resort. Here are some bankruptcy guides to help you decide which debt resolution option is best for you.

Check your case status

Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created state guides on how to check the status of your case throughout the US, complete with online search tools and court directories.

Credit

Debt has a big impact on your credit. Below is a list of guides on how to repair and improve your credit, even while managing major debt, along with other credit-related resources.

Debt collection FAQs

Find answers to some of our the most commonly-asked questions about debt collection below.

Debt collection documents and templates

If you're dealing with debt, these documents and templates will help you respond, protect your rights, negotiate, and resolve your debts.

Debt relief

We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.

Debt settlement

Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created state guides on debt settlement. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.

Eviction

Facing an eviction? The following guides will help you navigate your situation with confidence.

Federal debt collection laws

Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.

Legal aid

Helping people find access to justice is at the heart of Solo's misison. If you're dealing with a legal debt issue, the following guides will help you through it.

Medical debt

Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing with medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.

Personal finance

Learn how to manage your finances and overcome crushing debt. Check out our personal finance guides below.

State debt collection laws

Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.

Statute of limitations on debt

Like all debt collection laws, the statute of limitations on debt varies by state. So, we wrote guides on each state’s statutes and more.

Stop collection calls

Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.

Wage garnishment

Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in your state, plus other wage garnishment resources.

The Debt Hotline

Hosted by Team Solo, The Debt Hotline breaks down debt and personal finance topics with help from attorneys, financial experts, and industry pros. We respond to real questions to help you navigate debt with knowledge and courage.

Other debt resources

It only takes 15 minutes.

And 50% of our customers' cases have been dismissed in the past.

"Finding yourself on the wrong side of the law unexpectedly is kinda scary. I started researching on YouTube and found SoloSuit's channel. The videos were so helpful, easy to understand and encouraging. When I reached out to SoloSuit they were on it. Very professional, impeccably prompt. Thanks for the service!" - Heather

Get Started