Everyone has the dream of buying their first house and it is becoming harder and harder to even get approved for loans due to the banks not loaning money. The economy the way that it has been with the recession has made it impossible for people to have good credit and more and more people are filling for bankruptcy. Debt can become the root of marital problems and cause families to break down. The first has been around since the 1950's and became very prevalent in the 1970's with a sharp increase in credit card. It is usually considered an adult problem, but when mom and dad are arguing about money, the children are most certainly affected.

Debt management programs are plentiful across America. In "Making Marriage Last," a publication by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, financial problems are cited as one of the primary reasons that marriages fail, listed second after poor communication. When a family member is in debt, the entire family is affected. People that get into financial trouble have many choices when considering debt relief strategies.

There are basically two forms of debt relief programs apart from bankruptcy.