• Do you usually pay only the monthly minimum on your credit cards or charge accounts? Do you ever miss payments entirely? Are your credit card balances near, at, or even over your credit limit?



• Does meeting your monthly bills require you to work overtime or work a second job?



• Do you depend on cash advances to cover basic monthly expenses and credit bills? Do you borrow money regularly from friends and relatives?



• Have you emptied your savings in an effort to pay debts, or is it next to impossible for you to put money into savings at all?



• Do you bounce or float checks just hoping they won't clear before payday?



• How much total debt do you owe? Can you account for all of your debt? Do you purposely avoid adding up your total amount of debt or hide credit bills from family members?



• Have you ever considered contacting a high-interest lender to consolidate your debts?



• Do you panic whenever you're faced with unexpected expenses, such as home or vehicle repairs?

If any of these situations sound familiar, you may be heading for trouble. Living beyond your income, and depending on credit, cash advances, or loans to maintain your lifestyle can put you on the fast road to financial crisis. When your income is stretched to the absolute limit this way, unexpected expenses can easily through your already shaky financial situation out of control.

Fortunately, financial problems don't have to go from bad to worse. Timely and effective intervention can help you get off the rocky road to financial failure and head down the path of finacial peace. Now that you know there's a problem, do something about it!