By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – For most Americans, financial concerns are scarier than a haunted house at Halloween.

According to the latest Country Financial Security survey, 83 percent of those surveyed said at least one financial fear keeps them up at night. Country’s manager of financial security support Joe Buhrmann said millenials are most concerned about job security and paying rent or a mortgage.

“As we get older, we tend to be more established have more financial security and those fears start to subside but they also start to shift over time,” Buhrmann said. “New goblins take their place.”

Buhrmann said older, even more secure Americans still have plenty to worry about.

“They think ‘Gosh I am saving money, I am going to be set for retirement’ and now those health care costs start looming or you are worrying about providing health care for a family member, mom or dad, grandpa or grandma,” Buhrmann said.

The survey shows three in 10 Americans are most concerned about being able to retire comfortably, two in 10 are worried about health care costs and 1 in 10 are concerned about affording rent or a mortgage.

The survey said a majority of millenials feel added pressure to keep up with the Jones.’  It also says money talk can be so scary that three in five Americans would rather talk ‘the birds and the bees’ with a stranger than their personal financial situation.

Buhrmann said the quickest way to allay financial fears are to create a budget, contribute regularly to an emergency fund and start saving early.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].