Americans Are Still Feeling Pessimistic About Their Finances

It's hard to believe it's been half a decade since we lived through such Great Recession milestones as the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac takeover, an unprecedented bank bailout and the highest unemployment rate in 14 years.

Even with a steadily improving economy, it seems workers won't soon forget the uncertainty of that time.

Two-thirds of Americans (66%) say they feel less financially secure or the same today as they did five years ago, according to the most recent COUNTRY Financial Security Index. Only one in four Americans said they actually feel more secure. Unsurprisingly, Gen Xers were most likely to be pessimistic (who can blame them?), while young millennials were the most optimistic of the bunch.

The reality is that all the positive jobs reports in the world can't help the millions of workers who saw their nest eggs obliterated by the financial crisis. More than 41% of respondents said depleted retirement and emergency savings are stressing them out the most.

Economists have championed the recent surge in mortgage rates as a positive sign for the housing market, but only 8% of American surveyed said their reduced home value has been keeping them awake at night.

For frustrated consumers still struggling to get back on their feet, reality is often far removed from statistics. This has been and will continue to be a slow recovery.

There is no one-size-fit all answer to rebuilding lost ground. The only way to rebuild is by starting from the ground up. A good place to start? Identify the financial missteps you may have made in the past and find ways not to repeat them.