If you are overwhelmed by debt, and don’t know who turn to, don’t worry, you are not alone. Americans are all facing this debt crisis together. Even people who had a handle on their debt might now be facing problems due to the rise in unemployment rates. There is no quick and easy way to get out of debt, but there are organizations that will help you figure out the way that is best for you.

    First of all, you need to sit down and asses how bad your debt truly is.  There are non-profit organizations like the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) that will help you to figure out a payment plan and how to get you back above water. They will try to give you ways to handle your debt on your own, but it is possible that your debt will qualify you for a debt management plan. This is something that you will have to research and consider if it is the right option for you.

    Debt management plans (DMP) are designed to help get you out of debt. They streamline the process for you by negotiating to get you better interest rates, and by handling all of the creditors for you. Considering what a nasty bunch creditors are, that should be enough! On a serious note, though you can negotiate your own balances and fees, and so you might not need a debt management plan. Sometimes creditors will put notes on your credit score saying that you are involved in a DMP. It might warn future creditors that you had a problem with managing your debt. Other than that a DMP might be the perfect move for you, especially if you are having a hard time getting motivated to face those creditors.

    If you find yourself faced with debt you can’t manage it is not going to harm anything if you call a company like CCCS, just be aware that there are schemes out there to trick you into thinking that they are here to help, and will charge you fees for what they do. As with