Debt consolidation plans look good, but the question is whether they really work.

You've seen the ads on television or on the Internet promising to help you get out from under the mounds of credit-card debt you've accrued over the years. While their flashy images and promises to get rid of your debt are hypnotic, credit-strapped consumers need to look beyond the hard sell before signing up.

According to the complaint, the company claimed it would teach their clients how to manage their money for no upfront fee. AmeriDebt allegedly took their clients' first monthly payment as a fee instead of distributing it to creditors. By the time creditors got any type of payment, the client was already behind and at risk of having their credit damaged even more.

What is a SIV? Does the SEC regulate SIVs? -- R.P.

Recently, everyone's been talking about SIVs. So what are they all about and what's the big deal?

The letters S-I-V stand for structured investment vehicle. SIVs have been in the news a lot in connection with the credit crunch and subprime mortgage blowup.