A recent poll finds that consumers think government and consumer debt are ruining the economy, and that a majority of them support the economic stimulus plan proposed by President Obama.

In the Fox News poll released last week, nearly 80 percent of Democrats, Republicans and independents all say the economy is being ruined by debt.

When it comes to guiding the economy out of that debt, the respondents were far more divided. By a 52-19 percent margin, the voters told Fox News that individual and business spending would do more to fix the economy than government spending. However, the proposed economic stimulus plan, which exceeds $800 billion, still got support from most Democrats (79 percent) and independents (60 percent), along with 48 percent support from Republicans.

Reflecting the current economic difficulties, only five percent of those surveyed said the economy was in either "excellent" or "good" shape. Another 20 percent said the economy was in fair shape right now, while 74 percent said it was in poor shape - a nine point increase from previous polls.

If debt is holding back your own personal financial situation, there are various steps you can take to protect your credit rating and avoid late payment fees. Some may find that payday loans are an effective part of their financial strategy as well.

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