How much do

you owe? If you who do not know the answer, you may have too much debt.

Get out all the bills and add them up. You want to strive for less than

20 percent of your monthly income in debt payments. That includes your

car payment, credit card payments, personal loans or other unsecured debts.

If those payments are more than 20 percent, you may be finding it difficult

to keep up with minimum payments. Tackle those debts right away or it

could get worse.

Do you have

a savings cushion? Life is full of unexpected financial surprises and

disasters. Divorce, layoffs, illness and major purchases are life happenings

that when unexpected, can cause financial stress. However, a savings cushion

of three to six months of living expenses can help to smooth out those

unexpected times and avoid financial hardship.

What about

retirement and other financial goals? Planning is essential to meet your

financial goals. Write down your goals and determine how you can best

go about meeting them. Goals can be long-term and short-term. Without

them, you may fall short when it's time to retire, or spend all winter

paying for last summer's vacation on a credit card.

Consumer Credit

Counseling Service is a community service agency dedicated to empowering

the people of north Georgia to achieve a lifetime of economic freedom.

A United Way partner, CCCS puts the consumer first by providing free,

confidential budget counseling, community and personal money management

education, debt management programs and comprehensive housing counseling.

CCCS Atlanta

has been named Outstanding Agency for four consecutive years by the National

Foundation for Credit Counseling and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation

of Services for Families and Children. A nonprofit organization, CCCS

is funded by contributions from creditors, clients, foundations, governments,

businesses and individuals. Contact CCCS by phone at 800-330-CCCS (2227)

or visit www.cccsinc.org.