Have you heard the rumor that you can get your credit card company to lower your interest rate if you can no longer afford to pay? Before you start calling your card companies in the hope of lowering your payments, listen to what Carmen Wong Ulrich has to say about credit card interest rates and debt settlement.

If you have a financial question you'd like Carmen to tackle, post it here in the comments or email us directly at ivcommunity@mail.ivillage.com

Watch Carmen Wong Ulrich's 'On The Money' Weeknights at 10PM ET on CNBC! Find more information on coping with the economy with our Bail Yourself Out resources.