SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WKRG) — With the new year comes new goals for individuals and families. COVID-19 unfortunately brought job losses and income restraints to many households in 2020.
Local Regions Bank Financial Wellness Relationship Manager, Gayla Land, spoke with WKRG News 5 about the issues people faced last year as a result of the pandemic. She tells us families are looking for financial security in the new year based on a recent survey.
“We found in a recent survey that 30% of people say they do want to save more in 2021,” said Land.
Regions announced this week their new program titled “Financial Fitness Fridays”, which is aimed at helping families create budgets and manage their credit. Land tells us now is the time to create a plan for the upcoming year and to make sure you’re in a strong position if something were to happen with your job, or other life event.
“So many people say that they want to save, or they want to have a budget, but they just don’t understand how to get started,” she added.
Last month Alabama’s unemployment numbers dropped sightly, which was a good sign going into the new year. According to the Alabama Department of Labor 14,084 claims were filed in the first part of January 2021. 11,124 of those claims are estimated to be COVID-19 related.
