Besides lowering your credit score significantly, the following credit card warning signals could mean that you are headed for financial distress.

1. You charge more this month than you did last month, without any major purchases like a new refrigerator.

2. You charge consumables like groceries and gasoline and don't pay off that entire amount each month. You go into the debt tail-spin when you charge items that get used up before you pay for them.

3. You make less money this month and can't make the usual payments with increased living costs.

4. You only make minimum payments. You'll never get out of debt if you can only pay the interest and a few dollars off the principal.

5. You borrow money from one credit card to pay payment on another account.

6. You use five or six credit cards each month. The best way to manage credit card debt is to only use one credit card and keep one with a low balance for emergencies.

7. You go over your limit on your credit cards. Besides paying overlimit fees, you will get penalties like increased interest rate. Plus, your credit score will take a nose-dive when you go over the 70 percent of available credit line.

8. You owe more than 50 percent of your credit line on more than one credit card accounts.

9. You can't make all your credit card payments each month.

10. You lie or cover up your credit card use to your spouse.

If you find that you make at least one of these warning signals, make yourself a financial plan--today.

Copyright 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Joy Fisher

Jeanette Fisher, author of over ten books, including university textbooks and encyclopedia articles on color psychology, has researched the effects of the environment on emotions for over 15 years. Jeanette has appeared on internationally syndicated radio and television and teaches Design Psychology and real estate investing.

She offers free information on interior design, real estate investing, and mortgage credit help from her websites. Jeanette Fisher's books, available from her websites and from Amazon, help real estate investors, home sellers, and home makers. To find out the four steps for beginning real estate investors, five ways to use interior design for home staging, or how to makeover your home for joy, visit Jeanette Fisher.com. And while there, don't forget to subscribe to her free newsletters.

Jeanette has so many websites because her name can be spelled so many ways.