Here is some consumer advice from Mary Hurlburt, director of community outreach for the Consumer Credit Counseling Service in Cincinnati.

Hurlburt was presenting the credit and debt session at Friday's Women & Money conference at Copley High School:

• If you are borrowing or running a balance, be careful where you borrow from:

— 401(k) plans: Don't borrow from your 401(k), which often can have an interest rate of 7 percent, Hurlburt said. ''If you borrow, it's not earning interest, you're paying it back with money you've already paid taxes on and then you'll be paying again when you take that money out at retirement,'' she said. ''A 401(k) is not your savings account.'' Hurlburt also stressed that everyone should contribute to a 401(k) plan, if offered.

— Home equity loan: Borrowing on equity in your home to improve your home might be OK, Hurlburt said, but the home equity loan is not to be used to pay off credit-card debt. Interest could be as high as 13 percent. (The interest rates used are examples given at the seminar, but vary according to market.)

— Credit-card debt: Hurlburt shared examples of how much time it would take to pay off debt by only paying the minimum. They were similar to examples I've shared in

columns this summer, such as taking 31.8 years to pay off $10,000 in debt if you're only paying the minimum. In the end, you'll pay $14,615.49 just in interest on that original $10,000 debt.

Hurlburt also warned the women about missing one payment and having interest rates skyrocket. She noted department store credit cards often have the highest interest rates, such as 26 percent. ''Don't ever carry a balance on a store credit card,'' she advised.

• Other types of creditors: Cable shopping card (such as a television shopping network) can carry interest rates of 22 percent and finance companies can have interest of 25 percent. Credit unions often have lower interest rates, and it's possible to get an unsecured loan if you have good credit and not a lot of debt. But financial institutions have gotten tighter on their lending practices, Hurlburt said.

• Keep a close eye on your credit-card company's activities regarding your account.

Many companies are shortening their bill cycles and making due dates earlier. Also, check to see if your credit-card company has lowered your available credit limit. Even if you don't normally charge up to your credit limit, your credit score could be affected if your available credit limit is lowered and the amount you charge stays the same. That's because your percentage of what you've charged against your available credit has just gone up.

• If you like the convenience of debit cards, be vigilant about watching your account online daily.

Debit card companies allow you to overdraw on your balance, so just because you get an approval, that doesn't mean you have the money in your account, she said. If you don't have the money, you'll be hit with insufficient funds fees. Also, if there are any mistakes or disputes on charges with your debit card, you will have to wait longer for the financial institution to put that money back into your account.
— Betty Lin-Fisher