You’re paying off those mortgage, auto, and credit card payments and breaking even, barely. You may think you’ve got a good financial cushion, but that could vanish quickly if you or your spouse loses a job. “You are fine right now and can keep current on debts, but can’t pay them all off,” Feeney says. “There may be a risk that you will encounter financial problems in the future.” Be realistic about your situation and start to get informed on how you can improve it, either with a financial planner, online research, or one of many financial-planning books.
Illustration by Jake Turcotte / The Christian Science Monitor
