American homeowners, homebuyers and renters share an unhappy slice of common ground when it comes to their monetary health, according to the latest CNBC Your Money Financial Confidence Survey.
The survey – which polled 4,336 adults in late March – found 70% of Americans admit to being stressed about their personal finances, with 52% stating this high stress level has been exacerbated since before the Covid-19 pandemic took root.
Nearly 60% of respondents blamed inflation as the primary cause of their dollar-based agitation, followed by economy-wide instability (43%), rising interest rates (36%) and a lack of savings (35%).
“People are worried that the money they’ve saved won’t last and are worried they’re going to have to lean more on their credit cards and other sources of debt just to get by,” said Bruce McClary, a senior vice president at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, in response to the survey’s results.
Complicating matters are the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank – a mere 13% of respondents expressed confidence in the nation’s banking system, with roughly one-third claiming the banking failures increased their worry about their own financial security.
The survey found 58% of respondents were living paycheck to paycheck, with only 45% acknowledging the presence of an emergency fund and 26% admitting they have less than $5,000 saved. Between the genders, 72% of female respondents said they were financially stressed, compared to 67% of men; the survey also found women were more likely to be living paycheck to paycheck and lacking emergency savings.
Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Animation
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