Nearly 4 in 5 Americans agree — the state of their finances is a matter for concern.

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More precisely, 79% had specific concerns when asked about their “current financial situation” earlier this year, in an April 2025 NerdWallet survey conducted online by The Harris Poll. All told, 64% of Americans had one or more worries about not having enough money saved, 44% about having too much debt and 26% about not making enough money.

While financial journeys vary from person to person, some experiences may be more common than you realize. Here’s some guidance on handling four of the most common money concerns, as revealed by the survey.

1. Not having enough saved for emergencies

Americans only save about 4.3% of their income, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. So it’s probably to be expected that about 2 in 5 Americans (41%) are concerned about not having enough money saved for emergencies, according to the survey.

Keeping a respectable emergency fund can help insulate your finances if you face unexpected expenses. This is a buffer — so it should be in addition to money saved for other goals, like retirement.

Ideally, you should aim to build up liquid savings of three to six times your core monthly expenses. If that sounds daunting, start small. Use a savings goal calculator to figure out how much you need to set aside each month to reach your target.

In addition to a savings account, evaluate your insurance needs to make sure you and your loved ones are covered in the case of a major emergency. Illnesses and injuries that keep you from working can quickly deplete your savings, so you might consider a disability insurance policy. And if someone besides you relies on your income — like kids, a spouse or aging parents — term life insurance can safeguard them in the event of your death. Some employers offer disability and life insurance policies as part of a benefits package; talk to your company’s HR professional.

2. Too little retirement savings

Nearly 2 in 5 Americans (39%) cited “not having enough saved for retirement” as a financial concern in the survey.

This isn’t totally surprising — families have just $87,000, on average, in retirement savings, according to the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. That’s even though a recent study by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found 87% of Americans in the private sector eventually plan to retire.

So what can you do?

One popular idea is the 50/30/20 budget, which suggests using 20% of take-home pay to save, invest for retirement and pay down debt. We recommend taking advantage of any match your company offers in a workplace retirement account, like a 401(k). You also might consider setting up other retirement accounts outside of your workplace, like a Roth IRA.

3. Too much credit card debt

About 1 in 4 Americans (23%) are concerned about having too much credit card debt. NerdWallet’s annual Household Credit Card Debt Study found that Americans with credit card debt owed over $10,000, on average, in 2024.

Carrying a credit card balance from month-to-month is costly, so paying down this debt should be a high priority. There are many strategies for paying off these high-interest debts.

One popular option, known as the debt snowball, focuses on paying off your balances from smallest to largest. Once your first balance is paid down, you can apply more to the next smallest balance, and so on. Another strategy — the debt avalanche — calls for putting that money towards paying down your highest interest balances first.

Of course, the best debt payoff plan for you is the one you’ll stick with.

If your credit is in good standing, a no- or low-interest balance transfer credit card could buy you some time to address your debt load. If your credit is suffering and you can’t keep up with your payments, a debt management plan from a nonprofit credit counseling firm could lower your balances and/or payments to make them more manageable.

4. Not making enough money

More than 1 in 5 Americans (21%) are worried about “not making enough money at my job.”

This is another concern backed up by the data. Growth in real median personal income has been relatively flat since 2019 according to the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics consistently finds that 1 out of 3 college graduates is underemployed — meaning their job doesn’t require their level of education.

The most direct solution is to ask for a raise. Though these conversations can be difficult, they’re often worth the discomfort.

If you’re unable to get a raise, consider ways to make money outside of a full-time job. That can mean a part-time job or gig work, if you have the capacity to work more hours.

But more money might not be the answer. After all, the concern about making too little money was similar across income groups, with no statistically significant difference between the highest and lowest earners, according to the survey.

Luckily, people across the income spectrum can often find ways to lower their monthly bills. Ditching unused subscriptions, finding a less expensive cell phone plan and shopping around for better insurance rates are easy ways to get started.

The survey also had a bit of good news. Roughly 1 in 5 Americans (21%) say they don’t have any concerns about their personal financial situation. That’s the same share of the population as Texas and California combined, according to 2024 data from the U.S. Census.

The complete survey methodology is available in the original article, published at NerdWallet.

Daniel Lathrop writes for NerdWallet. Email: articles@nerdwallet.com.

The article Four Frequent Money Worries – And What To Do About Them originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By SEUNG MIN KIM, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will convene a peace summit at the White House on Friday with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan that is meant to end decades of conflict and reopen key transportation routes in the region.

The two countries in the South Caucasus region will sign an agreement that will create a major transit corridor that will be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the White House said. That route will connect mainland Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan region, a demand of the capital, Baku, that had held up peace talks between the two nations.

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“The roadmap they are agreeing to will build a cooperative future that benefits both countries, their region of the South Caucasus and beyond,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Friday. She added that the new transit corridor will “allow unimpeded connectivity between the two countries while respecting Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and its people.”

Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan are separated by a 20-mile patch of Armenia’s territory.

Separate from the joint agreement, both Armenia and Azerbaijan will sign deals with the United States meant to bolster cooperation in energy, technology and the economy, the White House said.

Trump previewed much of Friday’s plan in a social media post Thursday evening, saying the two leaders would participate in a peace ceremony and sign economic agreements with the U.S. that would “fully unlock the potential of the South Caucasus Region.”

“Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP,’” Trump said on his Truth Social site.

The Republican president will first meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and then will host Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev. Finally, all three leaders will participate in a joint signing ceremony in the State Dining Room.

The two nations have been locked in conflict for nearly four decades as they fought for control of the Karabakh region, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh.

The area was largely populated by Armenians during the Soviet era but is located within Azerbaijan. The two nations battled for control of the region through multiple violent clashes that left tens of thousands of people dead over the decades, all while international mediation efforts failed.

Most recently, Azerbaijan reclaimed all of Karabakh in 2023 and had been in talks with Armenia to normalize ties.

The signing of a deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan also marks a geopolitical blow to their former imperial master, Russia. Throughout the nearly four-decade conflict, Moscow played mediator to expand its clout in the strategic South Caucasus region, but its influence waned quickly after it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow stood back when Azerbaijan reclaimed control of the Karabakh region in a blitz offensive in September 2023, angering Armenia, which has moved to shed Russian influence and turn westward. Azerbaijan, emboldened by its victory in Karabakh, also has become increasingly defiant in relations with Moscow.

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, Associated Press Business Writer

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan says he’s “always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards” after President Donald Trump said he should resign.

On Thursday Trump said on Truth Social platform that, “The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!”

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Trump’s post landed after Sen. Tom Cotton sent a letter to Intel Chairman Frank Yeary expressing concern over Tan’s investments and ties to semiconductor firms that are reportedly linked to the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army, and asked the board whether Tan had divested his interests in these companies to eliminate any conflicts of interest.

It was not immediately clear on Thursday if Tan, who took over as Intel’s CEO in March, had divested his interests in the companies.

The economic and political rivalry between the U.S. and China are increasingly focused on computer chips, AI and other digital technologies that are expected to shape future economies and military conflicts.

Intel said in a statement that it’s “deeply committed to advancing U.S. national and economic security interests and are making significant investments aligned with the President’s America First agenda.”

Tan also addressed the situation, saying in a message to employees that there was misinformation circulating about his past roles at Walden International and Cadence Design Systems and that he’s always followed proper standards.

Tan also said Intel was in contact with the Trump administration.

“We are engaging with the Administration to address the matters that have been raised and ensure they have the facts,” Tan said. “I fully share the President’s commitment to advancing U.S. national and economic security, I appreciate his leadership to advance these priorities, and I’m proud to lead a company that is so central to these goals.”.

The company’s stock rose slightly in premarket trading on Friday.

By JAIMIE DING, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A fast-growing brush fire has forced thousands of people to evacuate in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles.

The Canyon Fire ignited Thursday afternoon and grew to more than 7.6 square miles by 11 p.m., according to the Ventura County Fire Department. At least 400 personnel were battling the blaze along with several planes and helicopters. It remained uncontained late Thursday and was spreading east into Los Angeles County, officials said.

The fire is burning just south of Lake Piru, a reservoir located in the Los Padres National Forest. It’s close by Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area burned by the Hughes Fire in January. That fire burned about 15 square miles in six hours and put 50,000 people under evacuation orders or warnings.

Sunny, hot and dry conditions were expected in the area where the Canyon Fire was burning on Friday, with the daytime high near 100 degrees Fahrenheit  and minimum humidity in the mid-teens, according to the National Weather Service. Winds were expected to be light in the morning and grow from the south to southwest in the afternoon.

In LA County, around 2,700 residents evacuated with 700 structures under an evacuation order, officials said late Thursday. Another 14,000 residents and 5,000 structures were covered by an evacuation warning. Areas within the Val Verde zone had been reduced from an order to a warning.

The evacuation zones in nearby Ventura County were relatively unpopulated, Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Dowd said Thursday. Fifty-six people were evacuated from the Lake Piru recreation area.

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Dowd called the blaze a “very dynamic situation” caused by hot, dry weather, steep and rugged terrain and dry fuel.

LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the district, urged residents to evacuate.

“Extreme heat and low humidity in our north county have created dangerous conditions where flames can spread with alarming speed,” Barger said in a statement. “If first responders tell you to leave, go—without hesitation.”

The new blaze comes as a massive wildfire in Central California became the state’s largest blaze of the year, threatening hundreds of homes and burning out of control in the Los Padres National Forest.

The Gifford Fire had spread to 155 square miles by Thursday night with 15% containment. It grew out of at least four smaller fires that erupted Aug. 1 along State Route 166, forcing closures in both directions east of Santa Maria, a city of about 110,000 people. It has injured at least four people. The causes of the fires are under investigation.

Wildfire risk will be elevated through the weekend across much of inland California as a heat wave gripping the area intensifies. August and September are typically the most dangerous months for wildfires in the state.