If you're having financial problems and looking for a way to settle your debts, you can attempt to negotiate a debt settlement with your creditors and lift your debt burden. You can also call a debt settlement company to help you through the process. The first thing to understand is that generally only credit card companies will agree to debt settlements, and then only after you have missed several payments. However, you take a chance of further damaging your credit rating if you skip payments solely to attempt a debt settlement, and in fact, until a settlement is reached, your creditor can still sue you for the full amount of your debt. If you are unsuccessful, you can contact a lawyer or a debt settlement company to negotiate for you. Be careful of debt settlement companies that are not accredited and take advantage of their clients. They may charge high fees, and those who are paid monthly may not work as hard to reach a settlement quickly.