Managing your money is like caring for your health. Just as you schedule a visit with a doctor when youre sick, its important to enlist the help of a professional when you need financial guidance.Even if your money situation is under control, situations still arise that call for a second opinion from a financial planner.Read on to find out whether any of these troubling signs apply to you.SEE ALSO:Financial planners share their best advice for saving money1. You worry your card will be declined.If youve ever stood in line at the supermarket mentally subtracting the cost of the items in your cart from your bank balance, then you might just need a little help with your money. Worrying about being able to pay for essentials could indicate that you dont have control over your finances.Use a money management app like Mint to help you stay on top of your transactions and bank balances. Your spending is updated in real time, and you can instantly see how much money you have available with a quick glance at your phone.2. Your card is declined regularly for purchases.If youre routinely swiping your debit or credit card and getting declined, this could be a sign of more serious issues with your money management.Whether youre spending on things you cant afford, or youre struggling to stay within your budget and your bank balance, a professional will be able to help you find ways to tackle your financial issues more effectively.3. Your bank balance is less than $100.If you have sufficient funds left in your bank account just days before payday, congratulations. But if youre regularly finishing up the month with only $100 or less in your account, that could be a sign that you need help managing your finances.Youre in good company. According to GOBankingRates 2015 Life + Money survey, one in five Americans fear living paycheck to paycheck forever. If this is you, its essential that you put aside some of your cash as soon as it hits your account. Start with depositing money into an emergency fund to save for unexpected expenses.4. Youre not saving for the future.So youre dutifully saving for your next holiday or a new car. Its also important that you save for those longer-term goals like your retirement.The 2015 Life + Money survey found that 34 percent of baby boomers are worried about their retirement savings. The fact is, the earlier you start saving for your retirement, the better your financial position will be when the time comes. Afinancial planner can help you create a plan to reach your retirement savings goals.5. You only save whats left at months end.Youre putting money into an investment or retirement account. But how much you set aside depends on what youve got left in the account at the end of the month. Sometimes its $100; sometimes $300.Saving for your future should be your top priority when you get your paycheck, even before paying rent and other expenses. Some experts recommend saving about 13 percent of your gross income.If that seems unattainable, start with 5 percent and work your way up.6. You tap savings for daily expenses.Even if youre dutifully saving money each month, regularly drawing outthose funds to pay for daily expenses will slow down your savings growth. It could even cause you to slip backward.Its time to analyze why you need to access your savings for non-emergencies. Are you trying to save too much, which is leaving you short in other areas of your budget' In that case, reduce how much you save and then commit to not accessing those funds.Are you regularly getting big bills for which you havent budgeted, such as annual auto insurance' Budgeting tools like YNAB(YouNeedABudget) will help you figure out how to avoid getting surprised by less frequent bills.7. You carry a credit card balance.Carrying big credit card debt is a sure sign that you need help managing your money. A July 2015 survey commissioned by peer-to-peer lending platform Prosper found that37 percent of credit card holders pay their cards off each month while another 16 percent pay only the minimum balance.Theaverage American household debt reached $15,863.If credit card debt is a serious issue for you, then seek help from a financial counselor tofigure out the best way to pay off debt. Perhaps an advisor can help you negotiate with your creditors to reduce your interest rate.Related: How to Trick Yourself into Paying Off Your Credit Card Debt8. You havent thought about your retirement.Even if it seems way off,your retirement will come around eventually and its important to be prepared. First, consider the type of retirement youd like to have and then figure out how much money youll need to make it happen. A retirement calculatorcan give you a rough idea about how long your retirement savings will last. A financial planner will help you create a plan to make your dream retirement a reality.9. Youve lost track of investment accounts.According to a recent Department of Labor longitudinal study, the youngest of the baby boomers held on average 11.7 jobs in their lifetime. And given Millennialspenchant for job hopping, they will likely have worked in far more roles by the time theyre in their 50s.Frequent job hopping raises the possibility that you might forget about your employer-sponsored retirement plans or investment accounts. Even if you think its not worth chasing an account worth only a few hundred dollars, consider that in 35 years, the earnings on those funds could be a significant boost to your retirement savings.If this scenario sounds familiar, go to the National Registry of Unclaimed Benefitsto find out if you have lost or missing funds.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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