Buying distressed debt "for pennies on the dollar" typically refers to the secondary market where creditors sell defaulted accounts in bulk to professional debt buyers. While individual consumers generally cannot buy their own specific accounts this way, they can enter the market as investors or use the same financial logic to settle their own debts.
To buy others' debt as an investment, you typically need to operate as a business entity due to licensing and volume requirements. What laws limit what debt collectors can say or do? how to buy debt for pennies on the dollar
Creditors sell debt when they believe the cost of collecting it exceeds its potential value. Buying distressed debt "for pennies on the dollar"