What sets an American worker's heart racing with fear? It's not Halloween but finances -- debt, medical bills, emergency expenses, and more. Plus for many in their 40s and 50s, there's the additional dread of a retirement with little money. In fact, for many, retirement is now a question, not an answer. It's not that there aren't things that can be done. But this is an age of acrimony and gridlock (after all, the House has passed bills that are sitting in the Senate waiting fruitlessly for votes). So it might be up to individuals, employers, and the states to face the monsters of financial illness and retirement unreadiness. The gallery above shows the cold, hard statistics that are enough to at least raise goose bumps for many of us. READ MORE:

• 10 findings on employee financial wellness
• Financial wellness in the age of anxiety
• Employers warming up to financial wellness