Women in California might be in greater danger of falling into debt than men. According to data from Comet Financial, the economic disparity between men and women is not just about wages. Women have more debt than men do as well, and that wage gap may be one significant reason this is the case. On average, women have more than $6,000 in student loan debt compared to men and more than $1,000 in credit card debt and medical debt.

Debt can be costly in terms of interest, but there are several steps people can take to reduce debt. Financial experts often recommend starting with the debts that charge the highest interest rate.

After that, it is necessary to get the money to pay off the debt. For some people, this could involve making a budget and seeing where the money is going. Some people may be spending more than they realize on things like restaurant meals. Another option is to pick up a second job that will go toward paying off the debt. More than one-third of the 44 million people who work a second job earn at least $500 per month doing so. People might also want to look into the typical salary for employees in their position and ask for a raise if they are being underpaid.

In many cases, people may not be able to get enough money to manage their debts. They may want to talk to an attorney about debt relief options and bankruptcy. While some people worry that bankruptcy will destroy their credit permanently, this is not the case. Filing for bankruptcy can give people the opportunity to start fresh, and people can begin rebuilding credit afterward. An attorney may be able to explain whether a person is eligible to file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.