15 Signs of Financial Trouble

A lot of the people I work with are in some sort of financial trouble, or have had some sort of financial issues in the past.

After working with so many different people for so long, it's gotten pretty easy for me to identity when someone may be on shaky financial ground.

If you can identify with any one of the 15 signs listed below, you may be in financial trouble...

You have little or no savings and live "paycheck-to-paycheck."
You repeatedly go into your savings to pay your regular bills.
You borrow money to pay your bills and/or to pay off old debts.
You pay your bills late - when you can - and not when they're due.
You only pay the minimum balance due on your credit cards each month.
You maxed out all of your credit cards.
You have no idea how much debt you have or how much money you owe.
You spend frivolously on clothes and entertainment instead of paying your bills.
You bounce checks and overdraw your bank account.
You don't open mail that looks like it could be a bill or a collection notice.
You avoid answering the phone because you fear it will be a bill collector.
You hide your car so the "Repo Man" won't get it.
You are constantly worried, depressed or stressed about money and bills.
You argue with family and household members a lot about money and financial matters.
You find it hard to concentrate and/or sleep because of your financial circumstances.

By no means is this list all-inclusive. There are many different indicators that can signal financial trouble. These are just the ones I thought of first because these are the ones I've seen most often.

Don't ignore the signs.

You know when things are not right.

Don't get stuck in denial or blindly hope that things will just turn around quickly.

Take immediate action! Seek the assistance of a trusted professional ASAP...