Know Your Rights, By Situation

What's happening to you right now? Pick the situation below and get a straight answer on your rights, your deadlines, and what to do next — no matter what state you're in.

The First Time a Debt Collector Contacts You: What to Do
Debt Collector Won't Stop Calling: Your Rights Under the FDCPA
Debt Validation Request: How to Make a Collector Prove You Owe It
Served With a Debt Lawsuit Summons? Your Deadline to Respond
Default Judgment Against You: How to Get It Reversed
Paycheck Garnishment: First 48 Hours
IRS Notice Escalation: What Each Notice Means and What Happens Next
IRS Wage Levy: Forms and Release Options
IRS Offer in Compromise: Who Actually Qualifies
Child Support Wage Garnishment: IWO Limits and Help
Bank Account Levy: Why It Happened and What Money Is Protected
Car Repossessed? What Happens Next and What You Still Owe
Eviction for Unpaid Rent: The Debt Side of What Happens
Can a Debt Collector Still Sue Me After the Statute of Limitations?
Debt Is Paid or Settled, But Still Showing Wrong on Your Credit Report
Federal Student Loan Wage Garnishment (AWG)
Medical Debt Escalation: What Happens Before and After Collections
First 90 Days After a Layoff: Debt, COBRA, and Unemployment Triage
Mortgage and Rent Relief During Unemployment: What to Ask For and When
Cashing Out a 401(k) to Cover Debt: What It Actually Costs
State Medical Debt Credit-Reporting Bans vs. Federal Preemption: Where Things Stand
How to File a CFPB Complaint (and What It Actually Does)
HELOC Draw Period Ending: The Payment Shock and What to Do About It
My Company Received a CFPB Complaint: What Happens Next
Filing for Bankruptcy: What Actually Happens, Start to Finish
Government Shutdown Financial Survival: Back Pay, TSP Withdrawals, and the Contractor Gap
Settling or Setting Up a Payment Plan While Your Wages Are Being Garnished
Bankruptcy and an Active Wage Garnishment: What Stops, What Doesn't