I promise, there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you fall into bankruptcy, nobody wins. They creditors dont want that to happen, and presumably you dont want that to happen.

The laws concerning debt are on your side! The key to using the law, is knowing the law and getting organized. Lets start right now with some debt planning. I'm going to give you a few tools to use, but to get out of debt, you will have to stay committed, stay organized and follow a program.

A good credit counseling company can help, but many are just scams. There are a couple that I send the majority of my clients to that have been around for years, comply with federal regulations, and are genuinly good people - committed to education and getting the best deal for the people they work with.

If you have made the committment to get out of debt, lets start with some broad strategies.

1. If it isn't written, it wasn't done. Get a log book together and make an entry of every date, time and conversation with collectors, creditors, banks and anyone else that you discuss your debt with. Make sure you get the first and last name of the person you spoke with. Write a draft of the subject you discussed, and any agreements that you made or promises that were made to you.

2. Save mail related to the debt. This includes envelopes with a postmark date. Send mail to the creditor via registered mail and request a return receipt so they cant deny that they received it. Live by that first rule, if it isn't written, it wasn't done! Make sure you can prove that it was written and received.

3. Be professional and courteous. But let them know that you know what your rights are and that they cannot intimidate you, because they will try! Let them know that you are keeping a log of the conversation, and that you are accumulating documentation. Remember, the law is on your side!