How do you get a credit card debt that was included in a bankruptcy removed from your credit report?

Today, Jennifer is divorced, unemployed, living in her parents' West Virginia home with her kids and wondering how she'll ever get back the life she once had -- or even manage to repair the credit devastated by all the unpaid bills. "I don't have a car, I don't have credit cards, I don't have anything. It's like I fell off the map," she said.

Millions of Americans have seen their finances wrecked by unemployment, foreclosure, medical bills or other setbacks, and are likely wondering the same thing: How do you rebuild after financial disaster? Here's the reality: You may never get back the life you lost. But it is possible to rebuild your finances and your credit over time.

This column won't help you if you're still in the middle of your crisis, although it may give you hope that there will be life afterward. Jennifer's economic recovery is still a ways off. She's attending a local college to get a business degree, an education paid for by Pell Grants.

She also qualifies for food stamps and Medicaid, two forms of aid she never thought she'd need but is grateful to have. Once she finishes school and finds work, however, she can start to refurbish her financial life.