After months of focusing on savings, American families are responding to growing economic concerns by turning their attention to paying down debt.

The First Command Financial Behaviors Index™ reveals middle-class consumers paid $2,259 on short- and long-term debt vehicles in March, up 11 percent from $2,033 in February. While consumers put substantially fewer dollars into long-term savings and retirement accounts (February averages were down by 42 percent and 28 percent, respectively), they continued to focus on short-term savings as part of an encouraging trend toward improving personal finances.

The percentage of Americans with a positive savings-to-debt ratio – total savings compared to total debt – climbed to 44 percent in the first quarter, the highest level in the history of the Index, according to Scott Spiker, CEO of First Command Financial Services, Inc.

“We are seeing strong financial behaviors in American families, particularly those working with a financial advisor,” he said. “Three out of five families with a financial plan through a financial advisor reported a positive savings-to-debt ratio in March. Our research and experience in the marketplace confirms that working with a knowledgeable and trustworthy financial coach helps consumers feel more comfortable with their finances and better prepared financially for the future.”

These positive financial behaviors come at a time when economic concerns are on the rise. Sixty-three percent of March survey respondents indicated that they were concerned about the state of the economy, up from 56 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. Other areas of growing concern include:

- the cost of health insurance (up 4 points to 44 percent).

- the cost of gas (up 9 points to 38 percent).

- job security (up 4 points to 32 percent).

“The silver lining of the economic worries shared by our survey respondents is that American families are staying focused on protecting and improving their finances,” Spiker said. “One fourth of consumers indicate that they have cut back for good, and concerns about personal debt have dropped across the past year and into 2010. While there are monthly ups and downs in the dollar amounts, Americans are consistently saving more and reducing debt as they embrace a more financially responsible way of life.”