Do you feel like your credit card spending is out of control? Follow these six ways to lead you off the path of financial catastrophe.

The number of Americans struggling with high debt is increasing, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. U.S. household debt reached a new record this spring, the central bank said, with the average indebted household owing more than $16,000 on their credit cards.

Seeking debt forgiveness from lenders is one option to try to deal with the burden of high debt. But there is an important tax consequence:

Any amount of cancelled debt is generally taxed as ordinary income.