If you are a consumer who is saddled with a significant amount of unsecured debt, you may be tempted to seek out the assistance of a debt negotiation firm. Also known as debt settlement firms, these companies have recently found themselves at the center of a heated controversy. Hundreds of thousands of consumer complaints have prompted legislatures across the United States to enact strict rules regulating the debt settlement industry. In a handful of states, for-profit debt negotiation services have been declared to be prohibited. Furthermore, a number of prominent investigations have been initiated at the state and federal level to determine whether some of the firms in this industry have committed crimes such as fraud, deception, and practicing law without a license. In addition, research has shown that only 1% of the consumers who worked with a debt negotiation firm completed the prescribed program and expressed satisfaction with the results. For all of these reasons, most experts recommend that consumers avoid third-party debt negotiation firms.