The M.O.O.D. Of America: Lincoln Financial Group Encourages You to Take Charge This Holiday Season

- 90% of Americans say that they always try to budget money to spend on gifts for their loved ones during the holidays.

- 89% of Americans are willing to go "above and beyond" to travel to see family or to host a get-together during the holidays.

News provided by

Lincoln Financial Group

Dec 17, 2013, 10:00 ET

RADNOR, Pa., Dec. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) announced today new findings from its M.O.O.D. (Measuring Optimism, Outlook, and Direction) of America study, which show that planning and budgeting for the holiday season are key components for many Americans looking to take charge around the holidays.

To help consumers maintain optimism and adopt a take charge attitude now and into the New Year, Lincoln Financial experts offer the following tips, which are based on habits of consumers who are in charge of their finances:

Make time for your family: 89% of Americans in control agree that when it comes to spending time with family, they're willing to go above and beyond, and travel to see them for the holidays or host a holiday get-together at their home.
Set aside money for presents throughout the year: 90% of Americans in control say that they always try to budget and make sure they have money to spend on gifts for their loved ones during the holidays.
Determine a shopping or travel budget before the holidays arrive: 70% of those in control say it's very important to stay within budget, especially during the holidays.

Recently, Lincoln Financial took its cameras to the streets of New York City for Part III of the "M.O.O.D. on the Street" video series to find out why being in control is so important during the holidays. What Lincoln uncovered were personal stories that supported the survey's findings. Getting set for the holiday season empowers Americans like no other time of the year. You can view the entire video here, as well as the additional M.O.O.D. on the Street videos on our YouTube page – www.youtube.com/user/LincolnFinancialGrp.

For more information on the M.O.O.D. of America, including supporting documentation for the findings, please visit our website.

For additional tips and tools that can help you take charge of your financial future, please visit www.beachieflifeofficer.com.

About the M.O.O.D of America
Results for the current M.O.O.D. of America poll (Measuring Optimism, Outlook and Direction) are based on an online survey conducted by Whitman Insight Strategies (WINS), on behalf of Lincoln Financial Group. The research was conducted in late March 2013, among 2,322 adults 18 years of age and older across the United States.

The margin of error is +/- 1.9% for the entire sample. The sample was weighted by gender, age, region, race and ethnicity. Demographic weighting targets are based on the 2010 U.S. Census figures for adults 18 years of age and older.

About Lincoln Financial Group
Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC) and its affiliates. With headquarters in the Philadelphia region, the companies of Lincoln Financial Group had assets under management of $197 billion as of September 30, 2013. Through its affiliated companies, Lincoln Financial Group offers: annuities; life, group life, disability and dental insurance; employer-sponsored retirement plans; savings plans; and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services.

For more information, including a copy of our most recent SEC reports containing our balance sheets, please visit www.LincolnFinancial.com.

Video with caption: "Lincoln Financial Group recently took its cameras to New York City to find out why being in control is so important during the holidays. The personal stories captured in this video support the company's 2013 M.O.O.D. of America study findings, which indicate that planning and budgeting are essential as Americans prepare for this special time of year." Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS0h-zpHcDI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUkeddZ_l4A_oCU7upZ8rgmw

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20050830/LFLOGO)

SOURCE Lincoln Financial Group