A Financial Health Quiz
If you've been wondering whether or not you need help—with your finances, that is—the National Foundation for Credit Counseling has just released a quiz to help you figure it out. The quiz, pasted below, asks about credit card balances and secret spending.
I answered yes to two of the questions—I sometimes hide purchases from my spouse, and losing my job would cause an immediate financial crisis in my life. But who wouldn't answer yes to those questions? The NFCC assures me that answering two or three questions in the affirmative just means you're normal, but once you get beyond a few, it might be time to seek credit counseling.
The NFCC quiz (answer yes or no):
- I normally pay only the minimum amount due on my credit card bills.
- My credit card balances increase each month.
- There are arguments in my home about money.
- I sometimes hide purchases from my spouse.
- I frequently charge items that I used to pay for with cash.
- I have thought about filing for bankruptcy.
- I have begun using cash advances to meet my obligations.
- Most of my credit cards are near the limit, so I've begun applying for new lines of credit.
- I do not know the total amount that I owe.
- I skip paying my bills some months, or pay late.
- I have depleted my savings.
- I am consumed with thoughts of my debt.
- My debt interferes with my job and/or home life.
- Collectors have begun contacting me.
- I have taken money from my retirement account to satisfy debt obligations.
- If I lost my job, it would mean an immediate financial crisis in my life.
- I use balance transfers.
- I have no emergency savings account.
- Next month's bills arrive before I've paid this month's.
- I do not open my bills when they arrive, or soon thereafter.
Tags: credit | debt | personal finance
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Reader Comments
Republicans Put Us in This Mess?
If you think Republicans are the only ones who put us in this mess. You should go back into our history and see all the democratic presidents who have used this countries social security money or other savings the country has had to make it better for that moment. Overall the elected officials have let us down while fatting their pockets at our expense. I would vote for any person who had a plan and would execute to change our government and how much money it wastes.
reply to McArthur of Texas
I found your scenario with the fictional character "Bonqueesha" interesting. Did you intentionally make it sound like an African American name?
That aside, it doesn't matter which party's candidate in office or where big business sends the jobs.
What matters is personal responsibility. The only thing that truly needs financing is a home, and all others, including a car, can be paid for cash, if money is saved and you don't have to have everything new. Despite the poor economy, people continue to live beyond their means.
The problem is...
...the invasion of Iraq. This has caused the financial ruin of many. The deficit is huge. The rich are much richer. This was all a plan that was made before 9/11 and I'm one of those who believes that the highest level officials planned 9/11. There was no airplane debris anywhere around the pentagon...it was hit by a missle.
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