Debt not the worst of our worries

At the forefront of things to worry about were issues such as avian flu, something which the average Brit can do little to prevent, while problems with debt seem to be less of a concern.

In Prudential’s National Risk Report, 38 per cent worry about terrorist attacks, yet only ten per cent were worried about their debt level, something that they can alter.

“Many people are focusing on unlikely events but not worrying about how they would meet the payments on their mortgage if they were to become seriously ill or lose their job,” commented Paul Cowman, head of protection at Prudential.

Despite the fact that many Britons are not worried about debt, politicians and the governor of the Bank of England have expressed concern and urged action.

Even with 40 per cent of respondents sceptical about the big stories in the news, people are failing to take action on real concerns, with only a quarter telling Prudential that they had savings for emergencies such as job loss.

Mr Cowman called on people to worry about things that they can change and make reasonable plans for their savings and debt.