Creditors may attempt to collect a debt on their own or they may enlist the assistance of debt collection agencies or attorneys or other avenues. This leads to harassing phone calls, emails, and letters to remind you of the debt and their intention to collect. Ultimately, they may file a lawsuit against you and seek to garnish your wages. When you file for bankruptcy — Chapter 7, which will eliminate your debt, or a Chapter 13 that will reorganize your debt — an automatic stay will immediately stop all collection efforts.

Bankruptcy filing aside, there are a few things you should know about debt collection harassment and what creditors are and are not authorized to do to attempt to collect on monies owed.

What debt collectors cannot do:

• Misrepresent themselves or information. They cannot tell you that they have the right to take legal action or make threats about your property or possessions.

• Arrest you.

• Take your property or possessions as collateral or repayment — unless this was in the terms of your agreement, such as defaulting on a mortgage which may result in foreclosure or secured credit that may result in repossession.

• Harass you. This is common and many debt collection agencies are guilty of it. They cannot make repeated calls or send harassing letters and emails. They cannot use explicit language, call during "off hours," or share information about your debts.

• Touch your bank account. They cannot collect funds without your authorization, even if they have your account number on file. Taking your pay must be done through a formal wage garnishment process and be completed through your employer's HR department.

What creditors can do:

• Sue you for money owed.

• Sell your debt to a third-party collection agency.

• Contact you daily via phone calls and mail.