Debt is an ugly word, but not an uncommon one. With a struggling economy, it's no wonder the average person may be broke. The Consumer Credit Counseling Service released a quick test to see just where your finances rank.

If you've found you need some financial help after taking the broke test, you're not alone. One out of every 100 families in the United States will file bankruptcy in their lifetime, according to the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Department of Health and Senior Services. On average, an American couple will have about $6,000 worth of debt they carry each month and 13 different credit cards.

Even though the average person may be in debt, Dr. Rebecca Travnichek said that the CCCS test may not be intended for the average consumer.

"There's a large part of the population that doesn't have a lot of those benefits," she said of the questions regarding savings accounts and health insurance. "The questions don't generally apply to the low-income population."

However, the test can be an indicator, no matter who takes it, to show a person that a plan should be in place, she said.

There are several tips, programs and professionals in the community to cope with financial problems. Here are a few:

Dave Leyland with Community Action Partnership, 233-8281

Dr. Rebecca Travnichek, family financial education specialist with the Missouri Extension Office, 324-3147

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Kansas City & Mid-Missouri, 364-3337

Martin Goedken at Catholic Charities, 232-2885.

Dr. Travnichek said the first step is to set a financial goal and start out small. Other simple steps would be to go to a money management class and develop a spending plan, either with a professional or on your own.

Jennifer Hall can be reached

at jennhall@npgco.com.

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TAKE THE TEST

1. How much money do you have in savings?

a. Two weeks take-home pay.

b. Three months take-home pay. c. Six months take-home pay.

2. What fraction of your take-home pay do you save?

a. 0 to 2 percent.

b. 3 to 6 percent.

c. Above 7 percent.

3. How much of your credit card purchases do you pay off each month?

a. Almost always pay the entire balance.

b. Pay entire balance most of the time.

c. Almost never pay the entire balance.

4. How many times a year do you withdraw from your savings to pay bills?

a. Six times.

b. Three times. c. Never.

5. How much life insurÂ-ance do you have?

a. 6 to 8 times of my annual income.

b. 2 to 5 times my annual income. c. 1 to 1½ times my annual income.

6. What is your maximum coverage provided by your medical insurance?

a. 0 to $20,000.

b. $20,000 to $50,000. c. Over $50,000.

7. How much do you spend for housing, includÂ-ing utilities?

a. 1/2 of my monthly take-home pay.

b. 1/3 of my monthly take-home pay.

c. 1/4 of my monthly take-home pay.

8. How much of your monthly take-home pay does it take to make your payments, including your car, but not counting housing and utilities?

a. 30 percent.

b. 20 percent.

c. Up to 15 percent.

9. Having established a reasonable savings and insurance program, my additional investments are: a. Very conservative (savings acÂ-counts only). b. A mixture of savings, stocks, real estate.

c. I have no additional investÂ-ments.

10. How much of your inÂ-come will your retirement plan provide, including Social Security?

a. 60 percent of income with inflation protection.

b. Less than 60 percent with no inflation protection.

c. Less than 60 percent with inflaÂ-tion protection.

SCORING:

1) a. 0 b. 5 c. 10 2) a. 0 b. 5 c. 10 3) a. 5 b. 10 c. 0 4) a. 0 b. 5 c. 10 5) 1. 10 b. 5 c. 0 6) a. 0 b. 5 c. 10 7) a. 0 b. 5 c. 10 8) a. 0 b. 5 c. 10 9) a. 5 b. 10 c. 0 10) a. 10 b. 0 c. 5

HOW DID YOU DO? Add up your points.

75 or above is great. 55 to 75 is good. 40 to 55 you have some problems. If you scored below 40, see a credit counselor or financial manager.