Some serious financial problems develop over time. Below are some initial questions that can help determine whether or not filling for bankruptcy is down the road or around the corner.

• Are you charging daily expenses to your credit cards?
• Are you making only minimum payments on your credit card accounts each month?
• Do you depend on a second job or overtime pay to cover monthly bills?
• Do you borrow money from friends and relatives to pay for basic expenses?
• Are you depending on cash advances to cover your credit bills?
• Have you cleaned out your savings account as a way of paying your debts?
• Do you float or bounce checks, hoping checks you've written don't clear before payday?
• Do you know the total amount of debt that you owe?
• Can you account for all of your debt?
• Do you purposely hide credit bills from family members?
• Is the amount of unopened bills in your home or office reaching critical mass?
• Have you consolidated debts through a high-interest lender, or are you considering doing so?
• Is your financial trouble creating problems in your family life?