Bankruptcies are being filed at an alarming rate these days, and foreclosures are becoming all too common. That means that the economy is still struggling, and you may be caught in backlash. If you have credit card debt that is becoming difficult, if not impossible, to pay on a regular basis, you do still have alternatives. One is bankruptcy. But the other can be found in debt settlement programs that will help you pay off your credit card debt for less than the amount owed and begin to restore you credit. Debt settlement programs are managed by debt settlement companies that negotiate a lump sum payment that will be paid off in an established period of time. You are free from monthly payments to save for that lump sum payment until it is complete, you pay your creditors, and your debt is settled. The problem can be that these debt settlement companies are not all known for ethical behavior, and many leave their clients holding the bag after receiving hundreds, even thousands of dollars in fees. It may be a better choice to enlist the aid of a debt settlement attorney to manage your debt settlement program.