Should you consider debt consolidation? These services can put the financially overburdened on the track to debt freedom - your money

Q I'm having trouble paying my bills on time. Can a debt-consolidation agency help me?

A Your ability to get back on track and consistently pay your bills by their due date is critical to recovering your credit standing. Here's how to tell if debt consolidation is something you need to consider.

Evaluate your position: Run the numbers for a clear snapshot of where your money is going. Write down the exact details of your income and expenses for two months. Now add up all your debts and total the minimum payments due on each.

Financial planners say if you can afford to pay double the amount of all your minimum payments each month and still put away at least 10 percent of your income in a savings fund for emergencies, you just need a disciplined spending plan so you can accelerate paying off debts. Can you get a cheaper cellphone plan or make do with basic cable? You'd also be surprised at how much you can trim from your monthly out-of-pocket expenses by making a weekly shopping list for groceries and personal-care items and sticking to it. Avoid using credit cards and refrain from unscheduled trips to the ATM. Call each creditor with whom you've been delinquent and ask to work out a payment plan, and again, stick to the plan.

Know when you're in over your head: Several of the following factors combined can signify that you need professional help. * Your voice mail is filled with messages from debt-collection agencies. * If you buy items on credit you should buy with cash (groceries, personal-care items). * If you regularly skip some bills to pay others or take credit-card cash advances or borrow money to make ends meet until payday.