Settling credit card debt is like when Rome was built; it wasn’t done in a day. Credit card debt builds up over time. But you can get credit card debt relief.Credit Card Debt FactsAccording to a recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts, eight out of 10 Americans are in debt. According to the 2015 American Household Credit Card Debt Study, the average American household is carrying at least $130,900 in debt with $15,700 of that in credit card debt. That means approximately 10 percent of total household debt is held on credit cards. Total debt owned by all U.S. consumers is estimated around $733 billion, and that’s not including mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and other types of debt.Contributing Factors of Credit Card DebtThere are several reasons Americans have incurred so much debt. It’s not always due to rampant spending or improper budgeting. Several factors which can influence American consumers to use credit cards: Long-term unemployment,Unexpected medical costs, due to injury and loss of workDivorceDeath in the familyMany Americans are carrying around the weight of being unable to pay their rent or mortgage, pay for health insurance, dental care, medications, home heating or cooling, food, clothing because their circumstances have led to their income not being enough to cover what they need.According to U.S. bankruptcy statistics, over 1.5 million people file for bankruptcy every year with nearly all of them (97%) being personal bankruptcies. Interestingly, according to a study by Harvard University, medical expenses accounted for approximately 62% of all personal bankruptcies, and surprisingly 78% of those who filed bankruptcy due to medical costs did carry some form of health insurance.Whatever your reasons and circumstances that have brought to investigate credit card debt settlement without bankruptcy, this is your chance to take charge of your finances and relievethe related debt stress.Steps Towards Credit Card ReliefSettling credit card debt begins with research. You need to know your credit card debt settlement options. You need to know what credit card debt settlement actually means and how that process works. Credit card debt can be resolved in multiple ways with credit card debt settlement and bankruptcy being the two major choices. However, bankruptcy is considered a bad option for multiple reasons.Say No To BankruptcyFiling for bankruptcy can have a huge impact on your life and your ability to get credit in the future. It could impact your ability to get a car or mortgage. So it’s important to know your options when it comes to deciding what to do about your credit card debt. Even bankruptcy experts will suggest you to use bankruptcy as a last resort due to its negative impacts.“Bankruptcy can impact your credit score more severely than any other single financial event.” (Investopedia) Not only can bankruptcy affect your ability to get credit at all, it will also affect the interest rate you receive on any credit you might receive. Even if you have successfully rebuilt your credit history in the years after declaring bankruptcy, some lenders will not grant credit to you if they see “bankruptcy” on your credit report. While many individuals tend to look at bankruptcy as a the best way to settle debt, they’re actually wrong. Bankruptcy is not a substitute to credit card settlement. While, both the options may be used to get you rid of your debt, bankruptcy is the least preferred one. When you file for bankruptcy, you will lose everything including your home. On the other hand, debt settlement can help you save a lot of things including your prestige.The Solution Since bankruptcy is not the answer to the question, how does one go about doing it? Here’s the solution: Contact a Debt Negotiation CompanyInstead of declaring bankruptcy or settling debt yourself that includes issues with knowing the laws, having attorneys on hand if needed to get the best resolutions, understanding the statutes of limitations, what is included in a proper debt settlement letter, and a myriad of other factors, your safest bet is to get in touch with the professionals and let them handle the job. Debt settlement companies can do a lot of things such as negotiating with lenders. However, make sure to choose one carefully as selecting a bad agency can backfire.The Credit Card Debt Settlement ProcessEven when a debt settlement company is working for you by negotiating your credit card debt, it can take some time before all the communications and negotiations have taken place between your creditors and your debt settlement advocate.You may still receive calls from collection agencies. As a consumer, it’s important for you to know that these collection agencies are supposed to operate under an expected code of conduct. Even so, some creditors will resort to harassment, threats and other improper practices.The National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) have received complaints about collection agencies: Calling people on their work phones or during inappropriate hours (before 8 AM and after 9 PM)Giving out personal information to third partiesVerbal threats or abuseThreats of arrest or harmThreats involving social security payments and/or veteran benefitsFalsely claiming to represent the government or government agenciesLying about the amount owedThe good news is that there are debt relief programs that include defense against non-permissable collection activities. These types of defenses include using the offenses to get better resolutions or even collecting damages from the creditor.If you are tired of debt stress and creditors calling, and you’ve decided that this year is your year to take control of your finances, it’s not too late to start the credit card debt settlement process. Debt settlement companies know how to negotiate your credit card debt with your creditors, and help you get out from under the cloud of debt once and for all.