08/01/2024
Warning signs of financial struggles.
As we enter the second half of 2024, many continue to struggle to make ends meet. In a recent study done by TransUnion, 46% of the people surveyed say that at this point in the year, their household finances are worse than planned, and 58% are not financially optimistic when considering what’s to come in the next 12 months. These numbers have been steadily increasing over the last few years as people have been battling the effects inflation has had on their lives, from increased mortgage or rental payments, high interest payments on loans and lines of credit, increasing credit card debt and more.
Avoiding an in-depth look into your finances can be one of the first signs of financial trouble. However, they are many other common signs to look for that indicate difficulties could be looming.
1. Making bare minimum payments – When making only the bare minimum payments on your credit cards or line of credit, it will take substantially longer to pay down your debt. Because of high interest rates, a large portion of a minimum payment goes towards interest rather than the principal balance owed.
2. Spending more than you make – By spending more than you make, it’s possible that you’ll have to rely heavily on credit to get you from pay cheque to pay cheque, therefore accumulating more debt and get caught in a cycle that is hard to break.
3. Borrowing money from credit cards, lines of credit, etc., to pay monthly bills – If you are using a form of credit to pay your monthly bills, you could end up carrying a balance on your credit which can become unsustainable, difficult to repay, and as a result could potentially lower you credit score due to a high credit utilization.
4. You don’t have a sufficient emergency fund – By having a sufficient emergency fund, you give yourself a level of protection against unexpected expenses. Without an emergency fund, you leave yourself at risk to take on more debt if an emergency arises by having to rely on credit.
5. Financial stress is causing problems in your personal life – Any stress can affect you both mentally and physically. It has the ability to impact your sleep, energy levels, self esteem and more. Being under financial stress can cause issues in relationships and in surveys, financial stress is the main source of stress in a relationship.
6. Declining credit score – If you are continuously missing payments, relying on your credit card, or taking out loans to get by, you could see a noticeable drop in your credit score. This is because payment history accounts for 35% of your credit score and credit utilization accounts for 30% of your credit score.
7. Lack of financial goals – If you are struggling financially, setting or achieving financial goals could be set on the back burner while you try to focus on managing your day-to-day expenses and current debt.
8. Avoiding financial statements – If you are using credit to cover your day-to-day expenses, you may find it hard to open and have a look through your bank and credit card statements because of the fear that comes from what those balances could potentially be.
9. Inability to save for retirement or contribute to matching programs – With a lack of retirement savings, or inability to contribute to employee matching programs through your employer, it may suggest a lack of long-term financial planning which could result in working well into your retirement years, financial dependency, or reduced quality of life.
With early recognition of the warning signs of financial struggles, you can take corrective actions before your situation becomes unmanageable.
If you are showing signs of these financial struggles, you are not alone and getting help before they spiral out of control is the first step.
If you are looking for advice, or a second opinion about your debt, it does not cost anything to talk about your options. Every financial situation is unique and viable options can differ from person to person. A conversation free of judgment is the first step to determine options for debt that make sense to you. For a free consultation, please call or text (506) 645-1814 or email [email protected]; or visit www.tackledebt.ca.