To learn more about personal financial situations, OppU, an online source of financial advice for consumers, surveyed nearly 1,015 Americans—22 percent of them 60 or older. Respondents had mixed feelings about where they stood financially, with nearly one in five feeling “bad” or “very bad” about their circumstances in terms of debt, savings, spending habits, and the ability to pay their monthly bills. Specifically:

• Half said they’re in debt, and nearly half said they can’t pay their bills on time. Almost 2 in 5 live paycheck to paycheck, and 1 in 5 said spend more than what they earn.
• Budgeting is widely considered an important aspect of personal finance, but 1 in 10 said they didn’t have a budget at all.
• 47 percent have a savings account or emergency fund. Of those, nearly 1 in 5 said they could live off it for three weeks at the most.
• Half of respondents are in debt, and most of those say their debt isn’t manageable.
• 1 in 3 respondents have frequently experienced stress or anxiety about their finances since the COVID-19 pandemic started, and 1 in 4 took out a personal loan during the pandemic, mostly to cover food, clothing, housing and credit card debt.
• On an optimistic note, more than 2 in 5 expect their finances to improve this year.

Of the 1,000 plus people throughout the U.S. who were contacted in the survey beginning in January, nearly half were 45 or older. The rest were between 18 and 44.