Some credit card issuers face lawsuits over gouging rates on cash advances.

Both rip off the poor and leave them in worse shape than before. If you need to use a pay day loan service, you are already in deep financial trouble and need to get help... fast.

Danger signals The following are some of the most common danger signals that individuals need to recognize and address before their financial difficulties become serious problems:
• I am afraid to answer the phone because it might be a collection agency calling.

• I am spending 20% or more of my take-home pay on loans and credit card payments.

• I go over my spending limit or use credit cards as a necessity rather than a convenience.

• I only make the minimum payment on my credit card balances.

• I have received second notices about overdue accounts.

• Creditors have threatened to sue, repossess my personal property or hire a collection agency to recover their money.

• My wages are being garnisheed to pay for outstanding debts.

• I borrow money for household expenses from friends and family to make it from one pay cheque to the next.

• Utility companies have cut off service because of outstanding bills.

• I pay one creditor one month and another the next because there's not enough money to pay both.

• I pay excessive interest or service charges because I don't pay bills on time.

• I am renegotiating loans to cut monthly costs or looking for a consolidation loan to pay off old bills and a few new ones.

• I am looking for a consolidation loan to pay off other consolidation loans.

• Financial problems are affecting my health, job or marriage.

• Personal Profiler

• Setting Your Goals

• What's your Economic Indicator?

• Test your Interest IQ

• Take the Budget Reality Check

• Decoding your Paycheck

• Beware Budget Mishaps

• The Real Cost Calculator

• Shopping for a credit card

• Are you Credit Wise? Shopping for a bank account

• The Beauty of Compound Interest

• Educational Reality Check

• Self-Starter Reality Check

• Workforce Reality Check

What is identity theft? "Identity theft involves acquiring key pieces of someone's identifying information in order to impersonate them and commit various crimes in that person's name. Besides basic information like name, address and telephone number, identity thieves look for social insurance numbers, driver's license numbers, credit card and/or bank account numbers, as well as bank cards, telephone calling cards, birth certificates or passports. This information enables the identity thief to commit numerous forms of fraud: to go on spending sprees under the victim's name, to take over the victim's financial accounts, open new accounts, divert the victim's financial mail to the thief's address, apply for loans, credit cards, social benefits, rent apartments, establish services with utility companies, and more." Very interesting reading.