Research has long shown that there is a huge financial gap between whites and blacks in America. Earlier this year, the Ariel Education Initiative revealed that African Americans are eroding their retirement savings at a much higher rate that other demographics.

The report showed that many African Americans are withdrawing money for unexpected emergencies, and that 50 percent of African Americans carried a loan balance into 2011 compared to 22 percent of Asians and 26 percent of whites.

But the financial situation seems to be getting worse, especially when it comes to African American women. Earlier this year the Insight Center for Community Economic Development published a study which found that the median wealth of single black women is $100 compared to that of single white women at $41,000.

Another ING survey, which polled 1,000 black and 454 "non-black" women about their spending habits, found that more than half of the Black respondents lent $500 or more to a friend or family member within the last year; one-third said they loaned more than $1,000.

Other research shows that more and more Black women are filing bankrupcty, and defaulting on student loans – which has an overall default rate of about 15 percent now for for-profit colleges, according to the U.S. Dept of Education.

Despite such negative statistics, there are helpful options available for women who are in debt.

Here are the top programs:

The Helping Women In Debt Program:

888-235-7939

www.womendebt.org

Debt Divas (for women in UK)

(+44) 0800-043-7207

www.debtdivas.co.uk

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