Ken and Daria Dolan, America's First Family of Personal Finance, answer your money questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Here's the truth: Americans are drowning in debt. Consumers currently owe nearly $700 billion on all credit cards and carry, on average, more than $8,000 in credit card debt from month to month.

Now, here's the good news: This doesn't have to be you. If you're having trouble making payments, consolidating your debt may be the answer. Let's take a look at what exactly this means and how it could help erase your balances once and for all.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I have a high amount of debt and have been thinking about debt consolidation. Can you explain how this works, and how it affects my FICO score?

-Bruce

Are you up to your eyeballs in debt? Ken and Daria show you how to get outstanding balances under control with smart debt management strategies, only at Dolans.com.