WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A survey showed that American consumers thought their biggest financial blunder was not saving enough, according to a report released by Principal Financial Group on Tuesday.
Some 22 percent of surveyed consumers in the United States cited their "biggest financial blunder" in 2018 as not saving enough, according to the report from Principal, an investment and insurance corporation on the Fortune 500 Companies list.
Meanwhile, not budgeting properly, taking on more debt, spending outside their means and accumulating credit card debt were also among the top financial blunders in American consumers' minds, according to the survey.
"There's no one-size-fits-all magic bullet for spending versus saving. However, the more we can think about spending and saving instead of spending or saving, the better off people will be," said Jerry Patterson, senior vice president of retirement and income solutions at Principal.
The survey covered 1,004 U.S. consumers over the age of 18, including 48 percent of male and 52 percent of female consumers. Based on the age of the surveyed consumer, the sample had been separated into 6 similar sized categories, which represented the responds of consumers from different age groups.
Heading into 2019, 46 percent of the surveyed said that they plan to save more each month, while 38 percent said that they would reduce spending each month.
From a gender perspective, the survey found that women's intention of making financial resolutions were at a significantly higher rate compared to men, while they were more interested in saving money and reducing spending as well.
In the meantime, more than 20 percent of the surveyed noted that paying off credit card debt, building an emergency fund and saving more for retirement were part of their 2019 financial plans.
The survey also showed that 94 percent of millennials, an age group that reaches adulthood in the early 21st century, planned on making financial resolutions in 2019, which was the highest of any generation.
"Taking a hard look at where we missed the mark and committing to making the right changes is a key step for 2019 well-being," said Patterson.
However, the surveyed consumers brought up several worrisome issues in 2019, health care instability was their top concern. Besides, more than one-third of those who surveyed noted fluctuating gas and food prices as their burdens as well.
Principal Financial Group is a global financial investment management and insurance company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, which ranked 210 on the list of Fortune 500 Companies in 2018.
