Bad Bunny might have topped the most-streamed artist list in 2022, but when it comes to what financial concerns top the charts consumers are singing the blues on inflation, according to new research from Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC).

While recession fears are widespread, inflation has been the top concern in rotation for all of 2022, finishing the year with 71% of Americans saying they’re concerned about it, up from 64% in the first quarter. Having enough income in retirement maintained the number two spot, and the level of worry increased from 52% in the first quarter to 59% in the fourth quarter.

Beyond the concerns they have, Americans across all age groups are seeing the importance of protection — 82% say they would like to invest their money in a solution that protects them during times of market volatility, even if it means fewer gains when the market is performing well. And, 82% agree that due to rising costs elsewhere in their budgets, it is more important for them to have protection against expenses or lost income in case of an unexpected event.

“It’s been another challenging year, as Americans are grappling with many things beyond their control — inflation, the performance of the market and the economic climate overall,” said Elena French, Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing, Lincoln Financial. “We conduct this research to ensure we understand exactly what challenges consumers are facing, and it shows that the protection and solutions Lincoln Financial can provide are more important than ever.”

Top financial concerns

Consumer concerns, 1Q and 4Q 2022 – total concern is those who answered 4 or 5 on a scale where 1 = not at all concerned and 5 = very concerned.

Source: Lincoln Financial, Consumer Sentiment Tracker, 2022. The goal of this research is to gauge consumer sentiment on a variety of financial topics. Data was collected in March, April, May, June, July, September, October, and November 2022 using the Qualtrics survey platform. Responses were collected from a total of 1000+ U.S. adults each month. The sample included quotas to be representative of the total U.S. adult population.

About Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help people take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, approximately 16 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, and guard against long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. The company had $270 billion in end-of-period account values as of September 30, 2022. Lincoln Financial Group is a committed corporate citizen included on major sustainability indices including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and FTSE4Good and ranks among Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies. Dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion, we are included on transparency benchmarking tools such as the Corporate Equality Index, the Disability Equality Index and the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. Committed to providing our employees with flexible work arrangements, we were named to FlexJobs’ list of the Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs in 2022. With a long and rich legacy of acting ethically, telling the truth and speaking up for what is right, Lincoln was recognized as one of Ethisphere’s 2022 World’s Most Ethical Companies^®. We create opportunities for early career talent through our intern development program, which ranks among WayUp and Yello’s annual list of Top 100 Internship Programs. Learn more at: www.LincolnFinancial.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Sign up for email alerts at http://newsroom.lfg.com.

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