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Does Money Stress You Out? You’re Not Alone.

Finances are a struggle for Americans – and not just the poor.

More than 25 percent say finances cause them significant stress. 20 percent struggle to keep up with their bills. And more than 33 percent aren’t prepared to handle a $2,000 emergency expense.

In fact, more than half of Americans — 57 percent — are considered financially unhealthy.

And even if you’re among the other 43 percent, you’re still not in the clear: poor financial health for the majority of American families is bad news for the economy, and that affects everyone, from businesspeople to babies.

If we want a strong country, all Americans must have the opportunity to be financially healthy (i.e., pay their bills on time, absorb emergency expenses, meet their long-term financial goals, and enjoy life—all without crippling stress).

Our partners at the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED)Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and the Citi Foundation are working to make this happen. And last week, they released a book on how folks from a range of fields—from economics to education—can help out.

The book is authored by more than 40 people from diverse sectors. In it, you’ll learn how one innovative company is using video games to teach employees about financial health, why savings accounts for kids are a good idea, and how the mayor of a Kentucky city has gotten government employees to open bank accounts.

And, in the spirit of financial health, the book is free to order and read online.

The key point is this: whether you’re working in business, education, health, government, housing, workforce training, communications, justice or another field, you have a role to play in removing barriers to financial health, and making our country stronger.

Head over to http://strongfinancialfuture.org to learn more, and check out the video below for more background.

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