The smartest option to exercise when you need to get rid of debt is a credit card debt settlement offer. The main option a lot of consumers look into is the debt relief system of debt consolidation consumer credit counseling. This method if taken care of in the right way will reach the milestone of getting someone out of debt. But in this horrible marketplace right now the vast majority of consumers are not in position to afford to swing a credit counseling program. In most cases it will cost around the same as the monthly minimum payments cost and many debtors realistically cannot pay their minimums every 30 days. Plus if you do not make one installment on a credit counseling program you will be kicked off the program and lose the benefits.