How financially fit are you?
 
After a year of record mortgage foreclosures and slumping¹ home prices, Americans are more determined² to shape up their flabby finances in 2008 than their bodies, according to a study released by Countrywide Bank on Tuesday.

Some 67 percent of the 1,002 adults surveyed nationwide said that becoming financially fit is a top New Year's resolution, while 57 percent are committed to becoming physically³ fit in 2008.

"The results of the survey are an indicator⁴ that people are finally putting financial health on par⁵ with physical health," said clinical psychologist Dr. Melody Alderman in a statement from Countrywide.

By gender⁶, women are more insecure about their finances, with 37 percent saying they are financially fit, compared with 55 percent for men. Dads are more confident about finances than moms, and single people feel more secure than the married.

Geographically⁷, U.S. Northeasterners felt better about their money, with 52 percent saying their are financially fit. The Midwest and South were tied at the bottom with 43 percent feeling secure about finances.

Countrywide Bank is part of Countrywide Financial Corp, the largest mortgage lender in the United States with a big stake in the troubled subprime mortgage market. It has been battered⁸ by escalating⁹ loan defaults.

美国全国银行于本周二公布的一项调查显示，在经历了今年的次贷危机和房价大跳水后，美国人2008年最大的新年愿望就是“财务健康”，其次是“身体健康”。

在全美1002名成年受访者中，约67%的人将“财务健康”列为头号新年愿望，57%的人选择的是“身体健康”。

全国银行在声明中援引临床心理学家迈勒迪•艾尔德曼说：“该调查结果表明，人们终于将财务健康与身体健康放在了同等重要的位置。”

从性别来看，女性更担心自己的财务状况，37%的人认为自己的财务状况良好；而男性的这一比例为55%。丈夫比妻子对家庭的财务状况更有信心，单身人士比已婚人士更自信。

从地域上看，美国东北部地区的居民对自己的财务状况更有信心，52%的人称他们的财务状况健康；中西部和南部地区并列最后，均有43%的人认为自己的财务状况良好。

全国银行是全国金融集团旗下的子银行，是全美最大的抵押借贷机构。由于该银行在陷入困境的次级房贷市场上占有很大份额，持续恶化的贷款拖欠使它遭到严重冲击。

Vocabulary:

on par with:equal in importance, quality, etc to sb/sth （与某人[某事物]同等重要）

subprime mortgage:次级抵押贷款（指银行或贷款机构提供给那些信用等级或收入较低、无法达到普通信贷标准的客户的一种贷款。这种贷款通常不需要首付，只是利息会不断提高。次级贷款对放贷机构来说是一项高回报业务，但由于次级贷款对借款人的信用要求较优惠级贷款低，借款者信用记录较差，因此次级房贷机构面临的风险也就更大。）

loan default:贷款拖欠