In light of a recent study reporting 35 percent of Americans are facing some sort of debt collections, GreenPath Debt Solutions, with seven offices across Texas, reminds residents that free debt counseling is available.

The study, from the Urban Institute of Washington DC, found that the delinquent debt is overwhelmingly concentrated in Southern and Western states. Texas cities have a large share of their populations being reported to collection agencies: Dallas (44.3 percent); El Paso (44.4 percent), Houston (43.7 percent), McAllen (51.7 percent) and San Antonio (44.5 percent).

"It is imperative that people review their credit report for accuracy," said Eric Salazar, GreenPath manager for Texas. "They should reach out to a non-profit credit counseling organization if they need help understanding the report or resolving their debt."

Salazar listed four likely reasons as to why debt is concentrated across the South:

1. Service and construction jobs are predominant in Texas, which have, historically, been unstable industries.

2. Texas is considered a big retirement state. "Retirees living on a fixed income with higher healthcare costs and past due medical bills can add up to a large amount of debt," said Salazar.

3. More families are living paycheck-to-paycheck. They may use credit cards to pay bills if little or no money is set aside for emergencies.

4. There is a lack of education on credit reports and finances in general. Most people look at their credit report only after being denied for a loan of some kind.  Many are surprised to find medical bills and collection debts on their report.

"In many instances, these simply are families who are living paycheck to paycheck," said Salazar. "This continues to be an ongoing problem, not only in Texas, but across the nation."