Making the minimum every month feels responsible, but is it disqualifying you from the relief you actually need?

Follow this chart to see whether a credit counselor, a debt relief company, or a DIY approach is right for you.

Rising credit card balances and high interest rates can make it difficult to keep up with monthly payments, especially when juggling multiple debts simultaneously. A debt management plan (DMP) offers ...

See how settlement fees and monthly costs compare across top-rated debt relief companies. Forbes Advisor collects consumer ...

Debt management restructures your debt so you can pay it off. Debt settlement involves some amount of debt forgiveness. If ...

Angelica Leicht is the senior editor for the Managing Your Money section for CBSNews.com, where she writes and edits articles on a range of personal finance topics. Angelica previously held editing ...

Debt relief promises a fresh start, but the fine print actually determines how much debt disappears in the process.

IT’S HELPING FAMILIES, AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN UP. AS WE CAME CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE END OF PAYING IT OFF, WE JUST FELT BETTER AND BETTER. IAN MOORE SAYS CREDIT CARD BALANCE ...

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Could your debt be reduced or forgiven? Take our financial relief quiz. According to a review of in-house data by Experian in 2025, the average American holds over $105,000 in debt. From car loans to ...