Working Americans and retirees have a negative outlook on the broader economy and are worried by unknowns such as the speed of vaccine rollouts, the return of normal business and the future of school attendance. But when it comes to their personal finances, they are committed to taking charge, according to a survey from Empower Retirement and its subsidiary Personal Capital.

Survey respondents ranked “saving for retirement” and “paying off personal debt” as their top goals. They indicated they want to spend more time planning their finances and learn more about financial strategies.

The survey, conducted by the Harris Poll from November 25 to December 11, included 2,008 U.S. full-time workers and retired employees. The results are detailed in a white paper titled, “In Uncharted Waters, Savers Keep Both Hands on the Tiller.”

Despite pessimism about the larger economy, respondents indicated they are confident in their ability to manage their personal finances. But as Covid-19 drags on, two-thirds of the respondents said they are bracing for financial pain if major lockdowns continue. Forty-four percent worry about losing money on investments, with an equal percentage saying a lockdown could affect their ability to save.

The survey showed that parents with children at home remain concerned about school closings. Beyond juggling work and homeschooling, many are concerned about their kids’ development, and nearly two-thirds of parents reported higher costs associated with learning at home. On the bright side, the survey noted that parents expressed hope that, over the long term, the pandemic could inspire a dramatic reset on college costs, as well as student loan forgiveness.

Women, the study found, have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic; they are more likely to be the primary caregivers for children stuck at home, making it harder to work. Their jobs are also heavily concentrated in health care and other frontline service work that exposes them to the coronavirus and puts them more at risk of related business closures.

Given those uncertainties, only 33% of women feel optimistic or in charge of their finances while 44% of men do. Also, more women reported feeling they “barely have their head above water”—31% felt that way, while only 19% of men did. Only 55% of women felt confident in their ability to build emergency savings, as opposed to 69% of men. And fewer women, 54%, felt confident they could retire when they wanted, while 67% of men did.

The study identified a host of other issues that Americans are pessimistic about, such as health-care costs, higher taxes and affordable housing. More than half of working Americans (51%) are more concerned about the overall state of the economy than they were last year, and 43% are worried more about their own financial situation. Still, the study showed that 63% of all respondents feel confident in their ability to plan for retirement.

Respondents are vowing to take charge of their finances in 2021—83% said they want to minimize worrying about their finances, mainly by increasing savings, and 70% indicated they are saving more.

The uncertainty of the economy has sparked broader interest in expert financial advice. More than half of the respondents (52%) said they will seek more guidance when it comes to their financial strategies; 33% said they are more likely to work with financial professionals as opposed to 24% at the onset of the pandemic; 41% said they plan to spend less money on non-essential items; and 38% plan to save more of each paycheck they receive.