If you have bills you cannot pay, or credit card payments that you cannot make, you are not alone. There are thousands of folks in the exact predicament that you may find yourself in. It's not that you've been irresponsible, it's just the way life is. Easy credit is everywhere and as long as your income remains ahead of your outgo, then everything is alright.

But toss in a few little wrinkles, like the loss of your job, or some unexpected emergency home repair, and bang, before you know it your balancing act becomes unsustainable. To top it all off, the companies that have loaned you the money, start to add on interest at an alarming rate. Now you really are in a pickle.

It's at this point that you really don't have enough money to keep up with the minimum amounts that are needed and you begin to miss payments. Then you just try to ignore the whole mess.

Then, the nightmare comes when collection agencies start to contact you politely, at first, to ask you to pay your debt. They sound sympathetic, but unless you make an arrangement and follow up on your promises, the calls become downright unfriendly.

Some debt collectors will use various methods of harassment. They may call you at work, or at home at all hours of the day or night. They may threaten you with foreclosure, imprisonment, or garnishment of your bank account. The person calling you might fail to identify himself, or imply that he or she is an attorney when they are not.

The bottom line is you need to take the initiative to look for solution to resolve your debt problem. You need someone to take your side. You are no less of a person just because you cannot pay your bills.This is where a debt relief helper can help. There are many debt settlement or debt negotiation companies available, with attorneys who are trained in this specific area.

Not only that, they have the backing of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act which was made law in the United States to stop unfair or abusive debt collection practices. If you want to know your rights, employ the services of an attorney who specializes in debt relief law. The FDCPA exists to make common tactics often used by collection agencies, illegal.

If you feel that you are being harassed, report it to a lawyer who specializes in this area of debt relief. Keep accurate records of all your phonecalls and other contacts with the bill collector. If it is found that unscrupulous methods are being used, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.

As with all things in life, it is best to take an informed approach to whatever problem confronts you. Learn what your rights are. Then with the strong arm of the FDCPA on your side, you can make bill collector harassment stop.