Making payments on your delinquent debt can be a smart move, but it may not provide you with the right protections. Dragon Claws/Getty Images

If you fall behind on your bills, making a few stressful calls and negotiating with the debt collector could lead to working out a payment plan. It's not an ideal scenario, of course, but once it's done, the calls have slowed , you're making small payments each month, and, for the first time in a while, things feel a little more manageable. In other words, it feels like you've taken a step toward getting your debt under control.

Still, a nagging question lingers: Now that you're making payments, are you protected from further debt collection actions ? After all, debt collectors have many tools at their disposal to try and recoup what

See Full Page