Consumers' fin. anxiety reflects last year's levels in Gallup survey
April 27, 2015
PRINCETON, N.J. (4/28/15)--Consumers' financial concerns aren't limited to one topic, and half of Americans have the same level of financial anxiety as last year, according to Gallup's annual Financial Worry survey.
The Gallup metric tracks the number--and severity--of financial challenges faced by consumers. Fifty percent of respondents identified themselves as being moderately to highly worried about three or more of the following seven indicators:
Not having enough money for retirement;
Not being able to pay medical costs or a serious illness/accident;
Not being able to maintain the standard of living you enjoy;
Not being able to pay medical costs for normal health care;
Not having enough to pay your normal monthly bills;
Not being able to pay your rent, mortgage or other housing costs; and
Not being able to make the minimum payments on your credit cards.
The number ticked up one point from 2014 (49%) but still sits lower than the 56%-61% seen from 2008 to 2012.
Having enough money for retirement is the most common worry, with 60% saying they are very or moderately worried about it. Roughly one-quarter are high worriers, citing six or seven of Gallup's indicators.
Seventy-two percent of households with an annual income of $30,000 or less are worried about three or more of the scenarios. The number of high worriers drops to 6% when household income rises above $75,000.
Although the level of anxiety is stable compared with last year, 52% of Americans reported their financial situation is getting better, according to additional numbers that came from Gallup's annual Economy and Personal Finance survey. Americans reported their financial situation was "getting better" at the highest level since 2004 in the April 9-12 survey.
"Americans' current levels of worry about seven fundamental indicators of financial health suggest they have still not fully recovered from the recession," Gallup noted.
Alternative lending, compliance management systems, and ideas for boosting credit card portfolios are among the topics of Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2019 edition.