The Carr Report: Money-related stress weighing you down?

Worried because your bills are piling up? Scared because you don’t have enough saved for emergencies, college, or retirement? Confused when it comes to taxes, mortgages, investments, insurance and estate planning? The aforementioned questions are questions I asked when marketing my financial planning and tax preparation service. It’s me appealing to what I already know. Most Americans are struggling financially. They’re worried and scared out of their minds. Consider these statistics: According to a 2023 survey conducted by Payroll.org, 78 percent of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. This means that most Americans can’t realistically afford the house they live in or the car they’re driving. CNN recently reported a 2024 Capital One Survey stating that 73& percent of Americans rank finance as their number 1 stress—more than politics (59 percent), work (49 percent) and family (46 percent). A recent survey conducted by the American Psychological Association indicates that as many as 8 of 10 Americans are stressed because of money concerns. In addition: 50 percent are stressed about their ability to provide for their family’s basic needs 56 percent are concerned about job stability and workload 60 percent feel angry and irritable 53 percent feel fatigued 53 percent say they lie...