With the economy in trouble and more layoffs being announced every day, many people are looking for ways to stay out of trouble with credit card debt. Relief is possible, not only for credit card debt, but also for other forms of indebtedness—but you have to know where to go and what to ask in order to find the best ways to give yourself some relief. Debt stress can lead to health problems, marital tension, and even loss of employment, if you don’t take some proactive steps to get yourself some breathing space.

The key to working with creditors, either directly or through a debt settlement company or attorney, is good communication. Unfortunately, for many of us, when debt starts to pile up, our tendency is to avoid creditors, even to avoid thinking about debt. But relief comes when you begin to take steps toward solving the problem, not from ignoring it. Here are some ideas you can use to get relief from debt and start the process of rebuilding your finances.

Talking to Your Creditors

The first and most important step you can take toward debt relief is talking to your creditors. If you can establish and verify that you have a genuine financial hardship—because of medical bills, divorce, death of a wage earner, loss of employment or reduction of income, or some other event with major financial impact—you may qualify for hardship provisions from the creditor. These can include temporary delays in payments, reduced interest rates, and even reduction of the amount owed, in some cases.
Read the rest of this entry