Facing financial meltdown? Take this test

November 20, 1:16 PMReal Estate News ExaminerBroderick Perkins

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Are you about to miss a mortgage payment?

Are you hiding purchases from your spouse?

Do you pay the minimum credit card payment?

Does your home echo with money arguments?

Bury your head in the sand when faced with these financial troubles and you'll only compound matters.

Doing nothing, procrastinating and clinging to denial will work against the fast action necessary when your financials get scrambled.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) says Americans habitually turn their backs on signs they could be facing a financial meltdown instead of quickly getting the help they need.

To help you home in on, instead of copping out of, your financial funk, the foundation suggests taking a test to help recognize when professional help could be warranted.

Answer "true" or "false."

1. I squeeze out only the minimum credit card amount due.
2. My credit card balances swell each month.
3. Money arguments echo through my home.
4. I lie and hide purchases from my spouse.
5. I now charge stuff I used to pay for with hard cash.
6. I've considered bankruptcy.
7. I use cash advances to meet my obligations.
8. Most of my credit cards are maxed out and I'm applying for more plastic.
9. I have no idea what I owe.
10. I'm a deadbeat. I take a month off paying my bills sometimes, or I pay late.
11. I have zero dinero in the bank.
12. Thoughts of debt consume me.
13. My debt interferes with my job and my home life.
14. Collectors are stalking me.
15. I'm cracking retirement nest eggs to satisfy debts.
16. If I get fired, I would be financially doomed.
17. I use balance transfers.
18. I have no emergency savings.
19. Last months bills still haunt me when this month's bills arrive.
20. I avoid opening my bills.

Answer "true" to more than two or three of those questions and it's time to call for reinforcements, say a credit or homeownership counselor or other financially savvy professional who can help you get a handle on your financial failing, says Gail Cunningham, spokesperson for the NFCC.

The first step toward a financially stable tomorrow is facing your situation head on today.

"Whether the problem stems from a lack of financial education, financial mismanagement, concerns over meeting the mortgage payment, or if bankruptcy is being considered, sitting down with a trained third party will add insight to the situation," says Cunningham.

The NFCC as well as the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA) can get you a referral.

Other help is available from a host of groups, including NeighborWorks of America; Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN); the U.S. Department Of Housing and Urban Development, and local community and social service programs.