Bankrate, Inc. has published the findings of a national poll which determined that 61% of Americans carry non-mortgage debt. Sixty-four percent of the respondents who carry debt admitted that debt is a cause of worry for them. The poll results are included in this month's segment of Bankrate's Financial Literacy Series: Out of the red and into the black. To view Bankrate's Financial Literacy 2008 - Guide to Building Personal Wealth, go to http://www.bankrate.com/financialliteracy.

  Key poll findings include:

  -- Americans have conflicting attitudes about debt.  While 91 percent
     believe debt can be controlled by disciplined saving and spending, 72
     percent also believe that debt is a part of modern life and difficult
     to avoid.

  -- 66 percent of Americans say debt is often the result of unfortunate
     circumstances beyond a person's control, while 60 percent say it is
     usually the result of bad decisions.

  -- Credit cards are the most frequently cited form of debt (45%).

  -- Higher income levels tend to carry debt month-to-month.  For example,
     75 percent of those with annual incomes of at least $75,000 regularly
     carry debt month-to month as opposed to only 36 percent of those with
     annual incomes under $20,000.

  -- Men worry less than women about the debt they carry (40 percent vs. 30
     percent).

"Worrying about your debt can get overwhelming," said Julie Bandy, editor in chief of Bankrate.com. "Bankrate has the tools and information consumers need to set a plan for financial success," Mrs. Bandy added.

  Bankrate offers consumers six steps to eliminating debt:

  1) Know where you stand - Look honestly at how much you owe.
  2) Create a plan - Take a short self-inventory to determine the
     appropriate repayment plan.
  3) Set aside some savings - Consumers should have at least 3 months worth
     of living expenses in a savings account.
  4) Pay more than the minimum each month - By only paying the minimum,
     compound interest adds up, making it harder to pay off the principal
     amount.
  5) Improve your terms - Creditors may waive fees, reduce interest rates or
     agree to more flexible terms
  6) Seek counsel - A credit counselor can get you on a budget or refer you
     to other options

The national random-digit-dialed phone study of 1,014 adults 18 or older was conducted for Bankrate by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media. The surveys were conducted from Feb. 8, 2008 through Feb. 10, 2008. The sample was weighted by demographic factors including age, gender, race, education and census region to ensure reliable and accurate representation of adults in U.S. households. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points.