Credit card debt and othe consumer debt are such a common part of modern life that many of us live with pressure on our budgets without realizing we may be entering a financial danger zone.

Are you one of the millions who are digging themselves into money trouble through the use of consumer credit? are you trying to recover from a financial setback-- a loss of income or an unexpected expense--that leaves you looking at a scary financial future? Are you getting by from month to month by building your debt instead of savings?

DEBT QUIZ

Take this quick debt quiz to find out if you can use some help dealing with debt.

__yes  ___ no    I carry credit card balances for a long time and often pay only the

                       minimum amount due.

__yes  ___ no    My credit card balances are growing each month.

__yes  ___ no    I am at or near my borrowing limit on one or more of my credit cards.

 __yes  ___ no   I no longer have a savings account, or I am using savings to pay

                       bills that I used to pay from my checking account.

__yes  ___ no    I try to manage my money to a budget, but I often come up short

                       when I sit down to pay bills.

__yes  ___ no    I use cash advances from credit cards or the overdraft feature

                       on my checking accout to pay bills and living expenses.

__yes  ___ no    I borrowed from friends or family when money was tight, and

                       havent yet paid it all back.

__yes  ___ no    I juggle payments, paying one creditor one month and another

                       the next so that they are both getting something.

__yes  ___ no    I often transfer balances from one credit card to another because

                       I can't afford to pay all of my monthly credit card bills.

__yes  ___ no    I have "consolidated" my debts into a home equity loan or a

                       single credit card at least once.

__yes  ___ no    I rely on overtime pay or money from a second job to pay my bills.

__yes  ___ no    I don't have the money to pay irregular bills, like real estate taxes

                       and insurances.

__yes  ___ no    When I come home from shopping, I sometimes hide my purchases

                       or lie about how much they cost.

__yes  ___ no    I no longer pay attention to how much I owe.

__yes  ___ no    I sometimes get notices in the mail or phone calls telling me I'm late

                       with a payment.

__yes  ___ no    My heart rate increases when my credit card is run through the

                       machine because I never know if it will be accepted or not.