FOSTER CITY, Calif.,
March 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- The COVID-19 pandemic is still impacting the United States' economy. Even though the
Internal Revenue Service delayed the tax filing deadline, many may
still file early -- if they haven't already. Some taxpayers may be
relying on their refunds for financial certainty after an uncertain
year. Today, MyBankTracker.com releases its newest survey
results after asking more than 3,500 Americans how they plan to use
most of their tax refund.
Review all recommendations for the "Best Ways to Use Your Tax
Refund in 2021."
Highlights
- Building savings is the most popular intended use (19%) for the
2021 tax season refund
-
- About 14% plan to pay off existing debt
- Around 8% want to use it on a household expense
- Only 4.3% say they will invest it
- Men are more likely to invest the tax refund (5.8%) or spend it
(3.1%) on something fun
- Women are more likely to save the tax refund (19.3%), use it
pay off debt (15.4%), or use it for a household expense (8.7%)
- The middle age groups (ages 35-44 and 44-54) chose "Other" as
the most popular use for their tax refunds
-
- All other age groups chose "Savings" as their most popular
money option
- Respondents age 25-34 are the most likely to invest their tax
refunds or spend it on something fun
- Nearly 35% of respondents do not expect a refund
A detailed analysis of the data (overall and broken down by
age and gender) is available within the article.
"For many, 2020 was not just some sort of financial stress
test, it was a true emergency." observes Simon Zhen, senior research analyst and
editorial director for MyBankTracker. "So, we recommend taxpayers
put their refund for tax year 2020 toward increased financial
security."
Best Ways to Use Your Tax Refund
- Create a Bigger Emergency Fund - If this past year
taught us anything, it's to be prepared for the unexpected. A
larger emergency fund to cover 12 or more months of
necessities makes more sense than ever. It can be the difference
between handling an unexpected expense or going into credit card
debt. Calculate your living expenses for a year, including housing,
utilities, and food. Tip: We recommend online savings accounts
because they tend to have the best interest rates.
- Pay Down Debt - Zhen doesn't mean to suggest paying
down just any debt. "Focus on paying off debt that cannot be
deferred or does not qualify for any hardship program. Examples of
deferrable debt may include rent owed and mortgage payments. And,
when you do pay down debt, you can save money by minimizing
interest charges on the loan."
- Invest Safely - While so many are still suffering
from financial uncertainty, the stock market has performed
surprisingly well throughout the pandemic. If taxpayers have fully
funded an emergency fund and paid down outstanding debt, they can
look into where to invest. They may be best off buying low-cost
index funds that track the stock market as a whole.
Tax Tip: Use the IRS Withholding Calculator to get your
refund as close to $0. Seeing a
refund hit your bank account may be fun, but it means the
government got an interest-free loan. If taxpayers keep that money,
rather than lending it, they can use it to build an emergency fund,
invest or pay down debt.
Simon Zhen is available to
provide a detailed analysis of the research findings. He is a
personal finance expert with more than a decade of experience in
the banking industry and can offer insights on consumer banking
products, 2021 financial trends, credit cards, bank innovations and
financial technology.
Methodology
This study was conducted through Google
Surveys on behalf of MyBankTracker from March 4, 2021 to March 21,
2021 with 3,589 respondents in the
United States, ages 18 and up with a standard deviation of
4.7%.
About MyBankTracker
MyBankTracker is owned and operated
by QuinStreet, Inc. (Nasdaq: QNST), a leader in providing
performance marketplace technologies and services to the financial
services and home services industries. QuinStreet is a pioneer in
delivering online marketplace solutions to match searchers with
brands in digital media. The company is committed to providing
consumers with the information and tools they need to research,
find and select the products and brands that meet their needs.
MyBankTracker is a member of QuinStreet's expert research and
publishing division.
MyBankTracker is an independent comparison website helping
consumers make smart banking and financial decisions. The mission
is to match consumers to their perfect bank by providing and
tracking in-depth information on more than 5,000 banks, credit
unions and financial products. Using a combination of technology
and money management expertise, MBT provides personal finance
comparison tools and educates consumers to optimize their
relationships with banks and lenders.
Twitter: @mybanktracker
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mybanktracker
Media contact
Amy Eury
Public Relations Manager
412-532-9352
aeury@quinstreet.com
LinkedIn
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SOURCE MyBankTracker.com