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About 1 in 3 U.S. adults have no emergency savings
An Empower survey cited by Yahoo Finance found 32% of respondents reported having zero emergency savings, while a separate Yahoo Finance and Marist poll said 35% would not last a full month if they lost income.
Roughly a third of U.S. adults report having no emergency savings, highlighting a broader under-saving problem tied to inflation, high medical costs, and a challenging job market, according to Yahoo Finance. The article notes that estimates vary by source, since different surveys measure emergency savings differently.
One Empower survey cited by Yahoo Finance found 32% of respondents said they had no emergency savings, and 39% identified rising prices as their biggest barrier to saving. A Yahoo Finance and Marist poll put the share higher, with 35% saying their savings would not last a full month if they lost income.
The article also points to Federal Reserve data indicating that groups with the least money saved include people who did not complete high school and adults under age 30, often referred to as Gen Z. It stresses that a savings shortage is not always a discipline issue, citing the same Yahoo Finance survey where only 8% blamed overspending.
Yahoo Finance adds that when savings are empty, some households rely on costlier workarounds. It cites a FINRA study that found 27% use credit cards for unexpected expenses and 12% take loans, and it warns that average personal loan rates are 11.40% and credit card rates are 21%, potentially turning a short-term gap into longer-term debt.