CCCS of Lafayette, a division of Family Services, Inc., echoes the concern recently expressed by The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

"'A $3.3 billion increase in consumer debt during December is an unhappy reminder that holiday spending can signal financial danger if shoppers get carried away,' was the comment made by the NFCC after the Federal Reserve reported that consumer debt climbed 1.9 percent to $2.16 trillion during the final month of 2005," said Susan Smith, president and CEO of Family Services, Inc.

The Federal Reserve's new consumer debt numbers cover levels reached through the end of December 2005 and the $2.16 trillion figure represents a noteworthy increase over the previous month.

"While there are a number of explanations for these increased numbers - holiday shopping, higher fuel and heating costs, rising interest rates and minimum payments, and potentially unforeseen situations such as illness or loss of jobs - there is no doubt that American consumers are amassing more debt than ever with little thought towards how they will repay it," said NFCC president and CEO Susan C. Keating. "This is why the services of accredited community based credit counseling agencies are so critically important for the millions of consumers in need of assistance and financial education."

CCCS of Lafayette is nationally accredited and has trained, certified credit counselors who offer low-cost and free educational information, management advice and debt reduction services. To schedule a confidential appointment with CCCS of Lafayette, call Family Services, Inc. at (765) 423-5361 or visit www.fsilafayette.org.