Americans may be doing better financially than they were immediately after the Great Recession, but when it comes to long-term financial security, many – even the affluent – are worried, according to a survey by Money Magazine.
The poll found that 64 percent of those with a household income lower than $100,000 say they are worried about their family's economic security, while nearly half, 49 percent, of those with household incomes of more than $100,000 say they are worried.
Women tend to worry more than men, with two-thirds of the females surveyed say they are worried about their financial outlook compared to 54 percent of males who say they are worried.
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Behind the high anxiety is the feeling by many Americans that they are living beyond their means.
Among those with household incomes of $100,000 and above, 37 percent say they're living paycheck to paycheck, compared with 55 percent of those with incomes under $100,000.
And 38 percent of those with higher incomes say they couldn't handle an unexpected expense of $10,000, while 66 percent of those who are less well-off say they couldn't handle it.
In addition, about a third of the more affluent say they couldn't live comfortably for three months if the main breadwinner lost their job, compared with 47 percent of the less affluent.
Another possible cause of strain is that many parents say they are contributing to help support children 22 and older well into their adult years.
The good news is 61 percent of those surveyed say they are saving money to build a security cushion, compared to 24 percent who were saving in 2009.
The nationwide survey of 1,018 Americans ages 18 and above was conducted Jan. 10-20 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.
Its findings were similar to a recent poll by the Consumer Federation of America, which showed that only 35 percent of Americans feel they are making good or excellent progress towards meeting their savings needs, while about two-thirds are making only fair or no progress.
"Only about one-third of Americans are living within their means and think they are prepared for the long-term financial future," Stephen Brobeck, the group's executive director said.
"One-third are living within their means but are often not prepared for this long-term future. And one-third are struggling to live within their means."
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