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May 30, 2012

Employees have false sense of security about current finances: Report

Employees' financial stress levels have been declining steadily for the past couple of years, says Financial Finesse, a leading provider of workplace financial wellness programs.

But that may be a sign of complacency and that those lower stress levels could actually be dangerous, causing a false sense of security that they're on track to meet important financial goals when, in reality, they're not, the company warns.

Financial Finesse found that while employees’ financial wellness is still higher than it was at the height of the recession, it has slipped recently in a few key areas.

One giant red flag, according to their most recent report, is that while 16% of employees report having no financial stress, 68% also say they're unprepared for retirement. As well, a majority don’t have a will or trust established and only half say they have enough life insurance to protect their family.

That doesn't sound right.

Two thirds of employees say they have a handle on their cash flow and spend less than they make every month, down from 72% last year. Fewer employees are paying off their credit card balances in full, and fewer have an emergency fund to turn to if they lose their jobs though.

Last year, 88% of employees said they pay their bills on time every month. That fell to 85% in the first quarter of 2012.

How's your finamncial stress level? Are things better or worse than they were a year ago?

By Gordon Powers, MSN Money

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Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

Jason BucklandJason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...