For readers who are paying bills with credit cards, cringing every time the telephone rings, avoiding stacks of unopened overdue notices, or facing foreclosure, Mitchell L Allen offers a practical resource full of hope. In this guide Allen empowers readers to make smart choices about how to emerge from debt and recover from the devastating financial and emotional effects of hard times. Unlike other debt-relief authors, Allen doesn't focus on bankruptcy or avoiding bankruptcy; he presents all of the options available and explains how to take advantage of them. He teaches readers: How to deal with financial trouble on their own, including negotiating with creditors; Where to find professional help with debt problems; How to determine if bankruptcy is the best solution; How to file for bankruptcy; How to regain control of their lives and their finances -- forever. Filled with proven and effective strategies for finding a way out of the debt forest, this guide provides the dearest path from debt-induced insanity .to financial security.