With the crumbling economy and the unemployment rate climbing, many Americans are faced with the prospect of filing bankruptcy to avoid paying their credit card debt. Before you call up a bankruptcy attorney and pay thousands of dollars for their services, you need to look into credit card resolution instead of bankruptcy.

There are a number of ways to legally erase your credit card debt without declaring bankruptcy. In fact, many of the systems available to you can slash your credit card debt by up to 90%! These programs work, you only have to know where to find them.

Who Qualifies for Credit Card Resolution Programs?

That's the great news! Anyone with any amount of debt can qualify for these programs. Keep in mind, that these programs not only slash your credit card debt, but they also can drastically reduce medical bills and other unsecured debt.

Unlike government programs and grants, there are no lengthy forms to fill out of hoops to jump through. You only need to know how to find these well guarded systems.

How Much Does It Cost To Legally Erase Your Credit Card Debt?

The cost of using one of these debt reduction programs varies based on your debt amount and the system you choose. Here are a few of the options you have:

-Do It Yourself Credit Card Resolution System: These programs cost between $50 and $100. Each of these programs outlines the steps you need to take and walks you through the process step by step. In addition, the best programs we've found have letters and forms pre-written for you by debt attorneys. These programs require a little extra work but are a much better option to choose instead of bankruptcy.

-Debt Consolidation Companies: There are many companies who provide services to clients that bundle all of their debts together into a more affordable payment. Keep in mind that these systems do not slash your credit card debt, but rather "repackage" it into a different loan with a better rate. While this type of system can be beneficial to certain clients, the idea option is to use a system that legally erases your debt forever. Debt consolidation companies' fees can vary from a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars.

-Debt Settlement Companies: Using one of these companies is the preferred way to legally erase your credit card debt instead of bankruptcy. These companies work on your behalf to negotiate with your creditors to drastically reduce and eliminate your debt. A debt settlement company can charge anywhere from under one thousand to over three thousand dollars. While that may sound like a great deal of money, you need to ask yourself how much you would pay to eliminate $10,000 - $30,000 of debt. If you're willing to pay a fraction of your debt to slash your credit card debt, debt settlement is the way to go.

How to Get Started:

Getting started with one of these programs is easy. Simply gather up all of your unsecrured debt statements and total up your overall debt. Calculate your current monthly payments and figure out what it would be worth to eliminate that debt forever. If you're only willing to pay $50-$100, check out a do it yourself credit card resolution program.

However, if you debt is significant and you want a professional to help you erase it quickly, look into a debt settlement company to help you out.