Pay For Last Christmas, Credit Foundation Says

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling wants to know if you've paid for all those holiday purchases.

The Maryland-based foundation includes this and five other questions in what it calls a mid-year financial check-up. The foundation also suggests that people set up an in-home financial center, review credit reports several times each year, know their credit score, establish an emergency savings account and contribute the maximum allowable amount to their retirement funds.

The foundation said its suggestions for a mid-year check-up could help consumers get back on track financially, but they also represent the basics of long-term financial planning and security.