When faced with an unexpected $1,000 expense, more than one-third of Americans would borrow the money, according to a new Bankrate survey. That may include tapping their credit cards, seeking money from friends or family or taking out a personal loan.
Most would not turn to cash savings because they don’t have it, the personal finance website found.
Fewer than half of Americans, 44%, say they can afford to pay a $1,000 emergency expense from their savings, according to Bankrate’s survey of more than 1,000 respondents conducted in December.
That is up from 43% in 2023, yet level when compared to 2022.
“We’re just not wired to save,” said Brad Klontz, a certified financial planner and expert in financial psychology and behavioral finance. Our brains are instead programmed to focus on our immediate needs.
Yup. People don’t think about it like that too often. It’s presented as a necessity, but there are no budget options. They’re a never ending expense.
Cars are regularly called money pits.
Owning almost any type of vehicle is going to necessitate maintenance, there’s a classic saying that the two best days in a boat owner’s life are the day they buy the boat and the day they sell the boat.