If your future looks full of financial hurdles, you are not alone.
New Year’s resolutions are often abandoned come February, and financial resolutions can be just as hard to follow as goals to lose weight or stop smoking. Failing to follow through on financial resolutions can have more serious repercussions, though: abandoning your goals can lead to poor credit, making it more of a challenge to get loans, among other things.?
If your future looks full of financial hurdles, you are not alone. A survey of over 2,000 American adults revealed these top money worries in 2013:?
Paying for Big-Ticket Items?
For the survey responders, paying off debt was the most pressing issue. Transportation expenses, like buying a car or maintaining a vehicle, came in second, and 33 percent of respondents reported being most worried about home expenses, excluding a mortgage. Medical expenses rounded out the list of big-ticket worries.?
Building Good Credit?
This year, more Americans are worried about fraud and errors on their credit reports. However, less than half of participants in a Credit.com survey got a credit report in 2011, and 32 percent took no action on it. In 2012, just 4 percent disputed an item on the report.?
To quell your fears, experts recommend pulling your credit report at least once a year to be sure it is accurate and that you monitor how your credit behavior affects your score.?
Planning for the Future?
Sixty-two percent of American adults are worried about financially planning for the future. Their biggest concerns are following a long-term budget, getting out of debt, establishing savings, improving their credit score, boosting retirement savings, paying off student loans and paying off a mortgage.?
Dealing with Setbacks?
The current economic climate has made many Americans worry about major financial setbacks like housing repairs, medical care, job loss and falling behind on bill payments.?
What financial worries are on your mind this year, and what are you doing about them? Share your best advice for overcoming them with our readers in the comments below.
