To get rid of debt and get yourself on the road to repayment, Jean Chatzky, David Bach and Glinda Bridgforth all agree that it is crucial to know how much debt you're carrying and at what interest rates. Pull out all your bills and write a list to determine how much debt you really have. Once you know your total debt, you can start paying it down!

It's very important to know your credit score. Once you start paying down your debt, your credit score will rise. A higher credit score means lower interest rates.

You can get one free report each year from each of the three credit bureaus—so three total. The smart thing to do is to get one every four months, that way you can make sure (for free) that you haven't been a victim of ID theft. To get a free report, go to the website set up by the Federal Trade Commission, annualcreditreport.com.

If you can't get a free report, buy one from one of the three credit-reporting agencies:

• Equifax: 888-766-0008 or equifax.com
• Experian: 888-397-3742 orexperian.com
• TransUnion: 800-680-7289 or transunion.com.