Warning Signs of Financial Stress

Warning Signs of Financial Stress

Debt is a curable disease, but first you have to know you are sick. Money troubles are a significant cause of stress and the leading cause of divorce. The pressure of being in debt makes it hard to worry about everyday living expenses. Below are a few of the many early warning signs, and you should be very concerned about these situations. Take them seriously, and share them with your friends who may not yet be in trouble. If you are paying only minimums for more than six months, you need to seek help. If you are transferring balances from one card to another, you are playing credit card roulette. If you are using credit cards for all of your basic living expenses, you need to create a strict budget and make a disciplined effort to stick to it - before a debt negotiator or the bankruptcy court makes a budget for you.

Are you currently experiencing any of the following?

• Are you always late on paying bills or relying on grace periods?
• Are you prioritizing bill payments?
• Are you dipping into your savings to cover your monthly non-emergency expenses?
• Are you threatened with repossession of your car or foreclosure on your home?
• Are you using credit cards for basic living expenses (gas, groceries)?
• Are you working overtime or a second job just to make ends meet?
• Have you exceeded the limit on your credit cards?
• Do you regularly use credit cards to buy things on impulse?
• Do you post-date your checks to keep them from bouncing?
• Can you only afford to make the minimum payment on charge accounts?
• Do you regularly transfer balances from on card to another?
• Are you juggling credit card payments, delaying one payment to pay another?
• Are you borrowing to pay for items you used to buy with cash?
• Are you receiving calls and/or letters from creditors and debt collectors?
• Are you unaware of how much you owe and are fearful of finding out?
• Are you regularly incurring overdraft fees on your checking account?
• Do you hide how much you are spending from your family and friends?
• Have you recently been denied credit?
• Are you considering filing bankruptcy?
• Can't go to the doctor/dentist because you can't pay the co-pay?
• Are you living in denial?
• Does it take you 60/90 days or more to pay bills?
• Do you have trouble sleeping or concentrating at work because of debt issues?

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the "Warning Signs" listed above it's time to take action now by speaking with a Certified Financial Counselor immediately. The Counselor will take an objective look at your finances and work together with you to create an action plan with your specific goals in mind. Waiting for a 'quick-fix' will only make maters worse.