Debt Management

Your wages can be garnished if you owe child support, alimony, student loans, or back taxes, or if a court judgment has been entered against you.

Learn the basic procedures for challenging a wage garnishment.

Find out what items creditors can take from you by repossession and what's off limits.

If you're struggling with debt, learn about your options to get debt relief.

Being “judgment proof" means you don’t have much in the way of income, cash reserves, or other assets that a creditor can take to pay off a money judgment.

Debots' prisons are a thing of the past. Usually, you cannot go to jail just because you don’t pay your debts or bills.

Learn about car repossessions: how they work, how to avoid them, and your options if it happens to your car.

Learn what the repo agent can and can't do when repossessing your car.

If your car is repossessed, the lender must give you certain notices after the repossession and after it sells the car. But in most cases, it doesn't have to give you notice before repossessing the vehicle.

You can request that a collection agency verify the amount and validity of a debt. But you must act quickly.

Find out how to fight back against unscrupulous debt collection agencies.

Here's what you should—and shouldn’t—do when a debt collector calls.

Learn about defenses you might have if a debt buyer sues you to collect a debt.

The "statute of limitations" bars creditors from suing for unpaid debts after a specific amount of time.

What happens when a collection agency sues you? Here's how debt collection lawsuits work.

With the right negotiation strategies, you might be able to reduce your debt.

What are the tax consequences of debt forgiveness? The IRS might consider the canceled debt amount as taxable income.

Learn about the upsides and downsides to debt management plans and get information about how to steer clear of related scams.

If your credit card company sues you, you’ll need to decide if it is worth paying for an attorney to help you.

If your car loan lender repossesses your car, van, truck, SUV, or other motor vehicle, it might sue you to recover any money you still owe on the loan (called the "deficiency"). Should you hire a lawyer?

If you’re struggling to pay your debts, you might wonder if you should negotiate on your own or hire a lawyer or a debt settlement company to deal with your creditors. In most cases, it’s best to avoid debt settlement companies.

Learn how bankruptcy will impact your credit.

If you dispute an item in your credit report, but the credit reporting agency refuses to correct it, you can take additional steps to remedy the problem.

Foreclosure and its alternatives will cause your credit scores to drop—the amount depends on your credit history and other factors.

If you're in the midst of a lawsuit and need money, should you take out a lawsuit loan to tide you over until you settle the case or win a judgment?

What are the risks of cosigning on a mortgage loan? Here’s what you need to know before you commit.

Because pawn shops charge high rates and fees, they're not a good way to get money.

Credit card companies rarely forgive your entire debt. But you might be able to settle the debt for less and get a portion forgiven.

Learn the players and steps involved in the collection of credit card debt.

If you fail to make payments on your credit card, the credit card company may declare your debt uncollectable. This is referred to as a credit card debt write-off (also called a credit card charge-off).