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Credit card debt, personal loans, and medical expenses - you're struggling to stay afloat, but it feels like the tide is pulling you under. Whether an injury brought high medical bills or your diploma hasn't yet led to a job, being financially overextended hurts. Where do you turn for debt help? Credit counseling, avoidance, and even bankruptcy may seem like the answer at first. But are they right for you?

Think about where you want to be. Are these the things that you are looking for?

" Get out of debt and avoid bankruptcy

" See a large percentage of your debt negotiated away

" Reduce harassing calls from creditors

" Achieve financial independence and adopt a healthier financial lifestyle

If they are than debt consolidation may be right for you. Debt consolidation is the process of putting all your bills together into one low monthly payment that you can afford. By doing this, you will not only put a stop to those harassing phone calls, but you will also reduce the total amount due, lower your interest rate, and over time rebuild your credit so that you can avoid bankruptcy and eventually be able to purchase the house or car of your dreams.

There are some simple things that you can do to determine if this step is the right one for you.

1. Get copies of your credit report - there are 3 major companies and you must look at all 3 reports to get a full view of what others see when they pull your credit. You can't deal with what you don't know.

2. If you are at the point of receiving the harassing phone calls, then you are past the point of being ready to take this step, do it.

3. If you have more debt than the amount of one month's salary, then you are in over your head.

4. If you have so many cards and bills that just keeping track of payments and bill due dates have become difficult, well then debt consolidation is what you need.

If you feel that you are need of debt consolidation assistance, or if you are still not sure, then by all means go ahead and contact a debt consolidation company. They will sit down and go over everything with you and let you know what your options are and what the best path for you is. Debt consolidation will take some time, and you may want to get all your expenses together and all your income information together, so that when you sit down to talk with them, you will be able to see everything in black and white, or red as the case may be.