Study: Louisianians less financially stressed than Texans, Arkansans

SHREVEPORT, La. ( KTAL/KMSS ) – Have you been feeling stressed out about your finances lately? If so, you’re not alone. But according to a recent study, the state you live in does play a role in your financial security or insecurity.

Take Texans for example. On average, people from the Lone Star state experience 27 micro-stresses per week because of money. and two-thirds of Texans report that micro-stresses are affecting their sleep.

In Louisiana, the average resident experiences 18 financial micro-stresses a week. Mississippians only experience 15 a week, which is one of the lowest numbers in the nation.

Arkansans stress out about their finances an average of 24 times a week.

If you live in South Dakota, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, or Vermont you’re more statistically likely to have fewer micro-stressors every week.

The study was conducted by www.badcredit.org and looks into the reasons that people feel financial stress. The reasons people stress about money were examined in the study and include:

• Issues with direct deposits
• Unexpected fees or charges
• Missing a bill payment
• Dropping credit score
• Difficulty tracking spending
• Overdrafting bank account
• Declined credit card transactions

Thirty-one percent of those polled in the United States said financial concerns were impacting their mental well-being. Such stress can lead to health issues such as:

• heart problems
• chronic anxiety
• high blood pressure
• difficulty sleeping

The study found that more than half of Americans would not discuss their financial problems with family members or very close friends.

Consumer Finance Expert Erica Sandberg said that although financial micro-stressors are minor compared to extreme negative financial events like foreclosures, being hit with a late fee, or watching your credit score dive can still take a toll on your well-being.

“This is especially true when they happen often. Unfortuntely, the average American experiences 22 such small financial stressors every week,” said Sandberg.

She also mentioned that not talking about your financial stressors with people who understand and can help makes matters worse.

“There’s no reason for shame!” said Sandberg. “Everyone makes money and credit mistakes sometimes. You would certainly not be the first person to forget about a credit card bill.”

Sandberg recommends that you just take the steps to rectify the situation so you can undo some of the damage and prevent it from happening again.

Here is the complete list of how many micro-stressors residents of each state experience each week:

Experts at www.badcredit.org, who conducted the study, want to help you overcome financial stress using these seven tips for managing financial stress . After all, life is too short to be stressed out about money.

Seven tips for managing financial stress:

• Make a debt spreadsheet to see exactly what and whom you owe, when payments are do, and how much interest you’re paying.
• Create a budget that includes daily and monthly expenses and helps you begin saving.
• Automate payments so you can lose the stress of having to manually pay your bills.
• Ask for help if you can’t figure out how to manage your money and save.
• Set realistic goals that are small and achievable.
• Focus on the areas of your finances that you can control. cut expenses, get a better-paying job, or search for lower-interest loans or higher-interest savings accounts.
• Educate yourself until you begin to feel like you have your finances under control again.

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