Debt-Consciousness Self-Assessment
How debt-conscious are you?
1.
When it comes to making monthly payments, I:
A. Am always on time and still have cash to save and spend on other things
B. Am always on time but have a tough time saving
C. Am sometimes late
D. Am often late (more than six times a year)
2.
If I use credit cards, I:
A. Pay them off in full each month or have a plan and timeline to do so
B. Pay more than the minimum balance whenever I can
C. Make only the minimum payment required
D. Struggle to pay the minimum amounts
3.
As far as my credit score goes, I:
A. Know it and how I can improve it
B. Know the ballpark it’s in
C. Don’t know it
D. What’s a credit score?
4.
I’m using more than ____ percent of my total available credit limits.
A. 0
B. 25
C. 50
D. 80
5.
I know ____ of my account interest rates.
A. All
B. Most
C. A few
D. None
6.
The last time I bought a big ticket item, I paid for it:
A. All at once
B. By financing just a small percentage of the total
C. By financing some of the total
D. By financing most or all of the total
7.
When I think about my debt, I:
A. Feel like it’s under control
B. Worry a little
C. Worry a lot
D. Think about something else so I don’t have to worry
8.
I tend to carry a balance from everyday purchases like groceries:
A. Zero to two months out of the year
B. Three or four months out of the year
C. Five or six months out of the year
D. More than six months out of the year
9.
The last time I refinanced or finished paying on a loan, I:
A. Paid it off in full
B. Increased the payments and changed the terms to pay it off sooner
C. Lowered the payments and changed the terms to pay it off later
D. Asked the lender to make big changes to the terms or write off part of the amount due
10.
If I were to ask someone who knows me well how thoughtful I am about incurring new debts, he or she would probably say:
A. I only take on new debt when it makes financial sense to do so
B. Sometimes I take on debt when I don’t really need to
C. I often take on debt for fun things like electronics, hobbies or travel
D. I love to shop with credit and don’t always think ahead about paying it off
How to score:
Add up which response you have the most of: As, Bs, Cs or Ds.
Once you have your letter, click the "Check your score" button below to view the results.