Debt makes the good times better and the bad time worse, is an expression that succinctly sums up the paradox of leverage. When you’re optimistic about the future— either as an individual or a company — borrowing literally affords you now what you would otherwise delay. These worries led many to stress about every-day financial decisions because of their debt (28%). However, a sizable proportion of participants overall, or 42% expected debt to decrease in the next five years (18% anticipated it would increase). “It seems overwhelming, but debt is something that certainly can be tackled head on.”Here’s her 5-step plan:

Source: Forbes November 30, 2017 22:07 UTC