Do you have old credit card debt? The kind of consumer debt that has the phone ringing off the hook day and night from debt collection agencies? Have you been considering credit counseling, debt settlement, or bankruptcy? What have you found?

Probably what you've found goes something like this: you could get on a credit counseling plan, but the monthly payments a service would set you up with would be a real financial strain on your budget, not to mention your life. In fact, many - if not most - people that start a counseling program are not able to finish it, mainly because of the rigidity built into such a program. These types of programs just don't take into account the fact that life changes, what you have available this month might not be there for a couple months. And if you miss a payment, you find yourself in just about as bad shape as before.

OK, so you could go the bankruptcy route. Yes, but bankruptcies are a matter of public record. Do you really want the world to know your business? Now, each of the debt solutions will damage your credit, but bankruptcy is the worst; wrecking your credit score for ten years. Ouch! This really is the last resort.

So that leaves us with debt settlement. Again it does a number on your credit score. But, it isn't in the public record, and you will be able to repair your score in a couple of years as opposed to ten. And, if you did much digging in this area, you may have found that debt settlement can be quite expensive - services charge around 15% of your total debt and up. Here's good news though. You can do a settlement yourself - and it isn't as daunting as it appears. Did you know that many times after 90 or so days unpaid, a credit card company may send you a settlement notice automatically? They may off to settle at 30 - 50% off the total amount owed. There are things to do to protect yourself in a settlement, and this is where it helps to know how the debt industry works, and what to do to avoid a lawsuit - they do happen, although not as frequently as the credit card companies would have you believe. This is where it is nice to have a person to ask questions of, or a manual to read.

If you really want to find a great resource for debt settlement, click here: free DIY debt settlement report. This program has been used by thousands to eliminate their debt at a fraction of the cost of a debt settlement company.

To receive your free report on DIY debt settlement, click here: free debt settlement report.

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