If you're looking for easy-to-understand legal advice on all sorts of financial problems, check out "Money, Credit and the Law -- Know Your Rights!"

It's a free, six-part series of online videos produced by the Center for Consumer Law at the University of Houston Law Center.

Each video is short (four to six minutes) and to the point, focusing on the most critical information you need.

They cover topics such as "Managing Your Money," "Credit Problems and Debt Collectors," "If You Are Sued" and "Bankruptcy."

In them, law professor Richard Alderman explains how to stop abusive calls from debt collectors, find legitimate credit counselors, defend yourself against lawsuits, file for bankruptcy and much more.

You'll quickly see that Alderman isn't one of those lending industry lawyers that create the indecipherable contracts and deliberately obtuse disclosure documents we routinely receive from credit card and mortgage companies.

He's on your side and can talk your language.

If nothing else, these videos will make it harder for you to be scammed or bullied by unscrupulous collection agencies, credit repair services and credit counselors that lie about their legal authority.

Some of the information is specific to Texas law, such as when Alderman talks about why debt collectors can't seize most of your money and property even if they obtain a legal judgment against you.

But you'll know to ask whether your state offers similar protections. Most do.