The latest figures from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) show that at the end of last year total household debt was $962 billion. Credit card debt reached $39 billion at the end of 2006, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year. In the December quarter there were 6016 bankruptcies, an increase of 20 per cent when compared with the same period in 2005. Last year calls from people in financial distress increased by 35 per cent from the year before.
