3 On Your Side: Americans Still Facing Saving Challenges
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- After scaling back in the wake of the recession, it appears Americans are back to their old ways. Consumer debt is climbing and for many households, debt outweighs savings. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan looks at an annual campaign to get Americans putting more in the bank.
A new survey finds Americans still facing challenges when it comes to savings. While a majority are saving some money, they still don't feel like they're saving enough.
One-third of Americans surveyed by the Consumer Federation of America and American Savings Education Council as part of "America Saves Week," said they're making "good" or "excellent" progress towards personal savings goals, while 63 percent characterize their progress as "fair" or "none."
In many cases, debt gets in the way. An analysis by the personal finance website, nerd wallet, finds the average American household carries more than 15 thousand dollars in credit card debt, more than 32 thousand in student loan debt, and just under 150 thousand on a mortgage.
To get Americans to build up their savings, the consumer groups suggest setting a goal - whether its short term like building an emergency fund, or long term like retirement or a child's college education - and calculating how long it will take to reach that goal.
Setting aside a small amount is better than nothing at all. If you can, have funds automatically deposited from each paycheck into a savings account. And if a tax refund is on the way this spring, that's a good way to get the savings started.
For more information on America Saves Week and to watch some helpful webinars, visit:
http://clarifi.org/education/philadelphia-saves
