According to the American Psychological Association's survey, which measures causes of stress, money consistently lands near the top with 61% of Americans reporting money-related anxiety. The biggest factor in this stress is overspending according to CNBC Personal Finance. We worry when total expenses (amount spent monthly) exceed total income (amount made monthly), causing mounting debt. 

Create a monthly budget to ensure you do not spend more than you make in a month, forcing you to take on additional debt. 

The basic idea behind putting in long work-hours is that our quality of life will improve. Maybe you pull some overtime or go above and beyond to earn a raise or promotion. Regardless of how you go about increasing your salary, there’s an expectation that bank accounts will swell, and life will get a tad easier. One of the things that hold many of us back from saving a lot of money though is controlling our spending.

If you are thinking about buying a new home, then this is an exciting time; however, buying a home is also a big decision. For this reason, you need to make sure that you take the time to get this decision right. That also means working with the right mortgage lender. Unfortunately, there are a lot of common mistakes that homebuyers may make when looking for a lender. Understand these common pitfalls so you can make sure to avoid them.

If you are thinking about refinancing your mortgage to a lower rate, then you are probably looking forward to saving money on your monthly payments. You can also go through the refinancing process to tap into the equity in your home to finance home improvements while also consolidating your other debts. At the same time, this is a big decision and you need to work with the best mortgage lenders to get a new home loan that is favorable to your financial situation. When it comes to refinancing your first mortgage, there are a few tips to follow.

The economic impact of COVID-19 on our country has left many individuals facing job loss or furlough. Even those who have remained employed are facing concerns about paying bills and affording daily necessities due to cutbacks or reduced hours. If you've lost your job, been furloughed, or had your hours cut as a result of COVID-19, you may qualify for unemployment.

Life happens, and along with it often comes debt…and you know what? That’s ok! Whether we have debt in the form of student loans, medical bills, an emergency of some sort that had to be financed, or too much spent on credit cards - we have all had our share of debt to repay.

5 Tips to Relieve Your Debt and Stress

The average debt load for Americans, including mortgages and car loans, is $132,529. Of that, over $16,000 is tied up in credit cards. All of this debt contributes to a high level of stress for many families.