Do you know the warning signs of too much debt? If you answer “Yes” to any of the questions below, you are probably already in financial trouble whether you realize it or not and need to find out what your options are. Do not allow yourself to be lulled into a false sense of security just because you’re not late with any of your payments.
Just because you can pay your minimum payments each month does not mean you are financially fit. Low monthly minimum payments benefit the credit card company, not you. The “minimum amount due” is cleverly calculated to keep you trapped in debt for your entire adult life.
- Do you need your next paycheck to survive? Are you borrowing from “Peter” to pay “Paul”?
- Are you spending more than 20 percent of net income on credit card bills?
- Are you dipping into your savings or retirement accounts just to pay your monthly bills?
- Are you using credit cards to pay for necessities, like groceries, because you don’t have the cash?
- Do you have more than 2 or 3 major credit cards?
- Do you depend on family and friends to bail you out?
- Are you financing a car for six or more years, or leasing, so that you will have a lower the monthly payment?
- When you buy a car, are you more concerned more with the amount of monthly payment than the cost of the car?
- Do you need a co-signer in order to get a loan?
- Are you hiding purchases from your spouse or family?
- Do you lie to your spouse or other family members about your spending or hide credit card statements?
- Are you overdue on any of your bills?
- Are you having to resort to “pay day” lenders to make ends meet?
- Are you pawning your belongings to come up with cash?
- Are you starting to look at making just “minimum payments” as being normal?
- Do you count on the “float” time between when you give someone a check and when it is cashed to give you time to make sure the money in the bank?
- Are you unsure at this point exactly what you actually on all your debts?
- Have you tried to purchase something only to have your credit card declined?
- Do you bounce checks?
- Are you getting collection calls from the creditors?
- Have you been denied additional credit?
- Are you getting charged a high interest rate when you borrow money?
- Here’s a telling question: Knowing what you know about your own situation, would you lend yourself more money? Rather than continuing to tread water with ankle weights, recognize you may be in over your head.?
- Is it time to find out what your options are?
