Financial counselors in the Valley are helping out those who are dealing with economic struggles.

Solomon Financial Counselors met at the Holiday Inn in Staunton Wednesday to discuss debt elimination.

They say more and more people are living paycheck to paycheck, which leads to using credit cards as emergency tools.

Counselor Joel Cochran says debt and credit are commonly mismanaged, and it's even more of a problem now.

He says, "I don't think the number of people in debt has changed. What's changed is, of course, available credit is drying up, but the cycle we have been in for years and years and years has driven people to have more debt than they can handle."

Cochran adds that the most important thing you can do is to have a plan that starts with savings and tries to keep more money in the bank.