Americans More Worried about Future Debt than Current or Past

Are your clients most worried about their current expenses, their future expenses, like retirement and childrens' college, or paying down their past debt?

According to a poll conducted in October and released on Wednesday by InCharge Debt Solutions Americans are significantly more concerned about future expenses than paying off existing debt or paying their current bills. In fact 37% said they worried most about paying for retirement and college, while 25% are concerned about meeting monthly living expenses and 15% are concerned about paying down debt.

To be sure there are substantial differences based on age, gender, income, education, and marital status. Of those who haven’t completed high school 49% are worried about meeting day-to-day expenses, while only 12% of those with college degrees are concerned about their current cost of living. Forty-four percent of households with children are concerned about the future compared to 31% of those without children. Thirty-nine percent of those that earn less than $35,000 per year are overwhelmingly concerned about monthly living expenses, while 57% of those that earn over $100,000 are far more concerned about saving for the future.

“Saving for the future is important, but people shouldn't forget that paying off debt is an essential aspect of any sound financial future,” said Etta Money, president of InCharge Debt Solutions, in a statement. “For a healthy financial life, you should focus on all three aspects: covering current expenses, paying down existing debt, and putting a bit aside for the future.”

 

 

 

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