One in 10 Americans reported being late or missing a mortgage payment last year, according to a survey released by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and MSN Money.
More than one third of those surveyed say they don’t have any non-retirement savings, including an emergency fund of three to six months salary.
Nearly two in 10 of those surveyed said they “keep little or no track at all” of their expenses.
NFCC and MSN Money commissioned the study of 1001 Americans, which was conducted between March 5 and 15 this year.
My guess is if you are reading this blog and are one of Ilyce’s readers you take better care of your money than most.
One great way to budget is to use a program like Quicken or Microsoft Money. You can track your accounts and expenses and figure out where you can pare back or how to do more with your money.
To learn more about personal finance check out Ilyce’s book, “50 Simple Things You Can Do to Improve Your Personal Finances.” Or “50 Simple Steps You Can Take to Disaster Proof Your Finances” – which you can get for free (plus shipping) from Ilyce’s online store.

April 29, 2008.