Serious debt is rarely a stand-alone problem. It’s often the result of other factors which either parallel or contribute to financial distress.

I recently worked with a retired and widowed client who came to MNP inquiring about possible debt solutions. He owed more than $120,000 on various credit cards and lines of credit which he was frightened he could never pay back in his lifetime.

This question comes up a lot, but it’s a difficult one to answer. While everyone loves a good benchmark, there’s never a clear-cut answer for how much debt is too much for any individual.

With COVID-19 impacting finances at all levels, much of the conversation over the past year and a half has surrounded increased spending (or decreased revenue) among governments, businesses, and individuals — and the debt each has taken on to make up the difference.

Simply asking this question means you’re already on your way to financial health. Take a moment to congratulate yourself — recognizing the perils of unplanned and unexpected costs is a massive milestone and will mark a major turning point in your relationship with debt.

The warning signs of financial trouble are everywhere, if you know where to look. Knowing what they are and how to recognize them can be the difference between quickly recovering from one or two bad months and being trapped in a months or years-long battle with debt.