The order you pay bills, save for retirement is more crucial than ever. Here are 5 steps to tackle financial priorities

At the end of 2025, American households were collectively sitting on $18.8 trillion in aggregate debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (1). Meanwhile, 87% of U.S. adults surveyed by Talker Research said the lack of affordability for basic essentials has hit “crisis” levels in America, and nearly half (46%) of these respondents expect the crisis to get worse in 2026 (2). Must Read Simply put, many families are struggling to make ends meet and are borrowing at a staggering pace to plug ...