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Data & Research November 2, 2011
Financial Resolutions Make the List, But not for All
TD Ameritrade’s annual New Year’s Resolution survey found 30% of respondents plan to start or build up their retirement savings in
2012.
Reported by Rebecca Moore
In addition, 51% want to save for a financial emergency, such as a job loss or loss of a spouse, 51% plan to reduce spending, and 47% resolve to reduce debt such as credit cards, mortgages, or education loans. Survey respondents plan to make these financial resolutions despite the fact that more than half (52%) said there is still too much volatility and uncertainty in the market to predict what 2012 will hold.
However, financial actions did not top the list of resolutions cited. The vast majority (89%) of respondents plan to make at least one personal resolution in 2012, the two most common being “have more fun” (66%) and “relax and reduce stress” (65%).
When asked what the government’s resolutions for the new year should be, respondents cited job creation (22%), reduce spending (16%), and ending the war in Afghanistan (14%). Forty percent of respondents would give their elected officials an “F” for how they handled the economy in 2011.
“It’s been a roller coaster year for the economy, and that unpredictability has had an impact on everyone,” said Stuart Rubinstein, managing director of client engagement at TD Ameritrade. “While making time to relax and de-stress is important, it’s good to see that people understand that despite economic uncertainty, it’s just as important to keep pursuing your long-term financial goals.”