Debt Relief Programs

Real debt relief comes from a few places: federal programs for student loans and tax debt, hospital financial assistance policies for medical bills, and consumer protection laws that limit what collectors can do. It does not come from companies that promise to erase your debt for a fee. Rules also change by state, from how long a debt can be collected to how much of a paycheck can be garnished.

This section will explain each kind of debt, the program or law that applies to it, and the state-by-state details that decide what you actually owe.