Three Biggest Financial Fears

by Mike Brassfield

If you’re financially stressed out these days, you’re far from alone. These are rocky and uncertain times we’re living in, and the stress level is super high. A number of recent surveys have confirmed that Americans are financially frazzled right now.

For example, a survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that a whopping nine in 10 Americans say the COVID-19 crisis is causing stress on their personal finances. Most worry about not having enough saved, or not being able to pay bills.  A survey by John Hancock Financial found that nearly a quarter of Americans have dipped into their emergency savings during the pandemic. 

Surveys are finding three main sources of financial stress. We’ve got strategies for tackling all three:

1. Fear of the Uncertain Future

Are you worried about losing your job? Nervous about what’s going to happen next? That’s why it’s crucial to have an emergency fund as backup — just in case.

An emergency fund is a stash of easily accessible money that equals three to six months’ worth of salary, in case you unexpectedly lose your job. And millions of us unexpectedly lost our jobs in 2020.

With the Aspiration Spend account, you can earn up to 5% cash back on your debit card purchases. With the Aspiration Save account (where you can funnel your tax refund), you can earn up to 20 times the average interest on your savings balance. (The FDIC reports that the average account earns just .05%.)

2. Fear of Falling Behind on Credit Card Debt

The pandemic and its shutdowns and its job losses have forced more Americans to fall back on their credit cards to pay their bills and pay for necessities like food. For those who are still struggling, managing credit card debt is a huge source of stress.

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