When I first got the call, I froze. The woman on the other end of the line claimed to be from Sunrise Legal Group, and she wasn’t wasting any time — threatening me with legal action over a “past-due payday loan” from 2016.

If you're buried under credit card debt and feel like there's no way out, you're not alone. I was there too—stressed, overwhelmed, and unsure if I should choose debt consolidation or debt settlement.