There are no truly free debt relief systems. Paying back money owed to someone else is never a crime, but simply defaulting on a loan is. But a negligent creditor lawsuit can result in wage garnishes, bank levies, or even liens against your personal property. If you need to overcome your credit card debt problems, you’re going to have to exert a real effort into finding the best debt settlement company. As stated above, there are companies that will advise you that you do not owe those bills. But, those companies will not offer you anything in return. To get free debt relief from your creditors, you are going to have to work on getting out of your financial crisis. Instead of relying on traditional methods (like your credit card debt consolidation company), consider using free legal debt relief programs to help reduce your financial problems. These programs offer you financial relief without the hassles and headaches of dealing with your creditors. This helps to avoid high fees that can accumulate as a result of dealing with your creditors directly. In addition to avoiding high fees, credit card debt consolidation offers you peace of mind. This alone can save you hundreds of dollars a month in the long run. To locate the best debt relief companies, do your research before settling for a particular firm. You’ll want to find a reputable company that can help you settle your obligations. For example, you don’t want to choose a firm to negotiate with your creditors if they tell you they will only negotiate with the first creditor you owe money to. After you’ve done your research and found a good company, be sure to read all of their terms of agreement before you agree to settle your obligations. Many times, consumers get into trouble by agreeing to a settlement plan with a lender that later reneges on their offer. If your financial situation can’t improve, it may be time to look for another credit score settlement firm. A good company should have no problem finding a new customer for this purpose. Once you’ve settled your debts, you may be faced with high fees or an increase in your credit score due to late payments. If this is the case, ask the debt settlement firm how they plan to pay off your outstanding balance. Many times they bill the credit score settlement firm directly, which means they will take a percentage of what you pay them for their services. This percentage can vary widely. It may depend on whether or not the creditors agree to accept a lower percentage; if so, the fees will be lower. If you’re getting into serious debt, try asking questions before you sign anything. Find out how much the plan of action will cost you every month. Ask how many monthly payments you’ll have to make, and what fees are associated with these payments. Make sure the plan of action has a reasonable fee structure. You can often get debt relief near your home if you’re willing to put in a little effort to research the companies you’re considering. Sometimes, credit cards carry very high interest rates, especially for unsecured debt. If this is the case for you, try looking for credit card consolidation loans. These loans combine your credit card payments into one monthly payment, making it easier to manage. With a loan consolidation service, you usually only have to make one payment to the service instead of dealing with all the credit cards. Keep in mind that there may be fees associated with the service as well. If this is the case for you, choose companies that have affordable fee structures for this type of loan.