43% of Americans don't have savings to pay for a $1K emergency

A third of Americans don't have the cash they need to cover a $500 emergency, according to a 2023 Federal Reserve survey.

Americans think they need $1.46M to retire comfortably in 2026.

Visualize America's retirement savings by age, with the median retirement savings for Americans being $87K as of May 2024.

Everything you need to know about emergency funds

The general rule of thumb for emergency funds is that you should have three to six months of living expenses saved—but what does that mean exactly? This article answers all your specific emergency fund questions, such as where you should put those emergency reserves, whether you should save three to six months of your full salary or just enough to cover three to six months of bills, and more. Read it here.

Americans ages 30 to 34 have $44,800 in their 401(k) accounts on average

Americans ages 28 to 44 save about 13.5% of their pretax income on average, which is close to the recommended retirement savings rate of 15%.

The average American household spends $6,545 per month

While the median household income is $84K, the typical bank account balance is $8K.

Even high earners are living paycheck to paycheck

While roughly 14% of American households make $200K or more per year, many of them still don't feel rich. For instance, more than 60% of people with salaries over $300K per year still struggle with credit card debt.

Some argue that a massive emergency fund can hurt more than it helps

A financial advisor makes the case for an emergency fund that isn't too overstuffed. An emergency fund that is too large, he argues, can mean that you'll miss other opportunities to grow your wealth.

Roughly 75% of Americans report feeling okay financially

Since 2022, fewer Americans report feeling worse off financially, moving from 35% in 2022 to 28% in 2025. Likewise, the number of Americans who reported feeling better about the economy is up 4% from 2022. More than 90% of Americans cite price increases as their biggest financial concern.

The average American contributed nearly $6,000 to a 401(k) retirement account in 2023.

401(k) plans had an average of $112K as of 2023

The median, however, is much lower at around $27K. The average balance of a 401(k) in the US differs across different age groups and income levels.

The mean net worth for an American household is now $1M

That's according to 2024 data from the Federal Reserve. In 1848, just 50 households had achieved a net worth of at least $1M (roughly $40M in today's dollars). Millionaires have become significantly more common due to a multitude of factors, such as price increases in securities, inflation, and rising home values.

Average retirement savings by state

Connecticut residents have the highest average retirement savings per person at $634K, according to data from the retirement plan provider Empower. On average across all states, Americans have saved $498K for retirement. This graphic shows the top ten states with the highest average retirement savings per person. See who came in second to Connecticut here.

Some say a $100,000 salary can’t buy the American dream

According to a 2023 survey, 52% of Americans said they would need to earn at least $100,000 a year to be financially comfortable. However, for a family of four, that's not enough money to achieve the American dream (having a degree of economic security) in any of the 50 states.

The US had about 155.4 million emergency room visits in 2022, and more than a third involved injuries, including poisonings.

The average 401(k) balance for Gen Zers was $13K as of Q3 2024

For millennials, the average 401(k) plan balance was more than $66K at the time. It's worth noting that retirement savings goals are often much higher than what many people actually have saved.

25% of US households had no regular income as of 2024

Some states had higher shares of no-income households than others: West Virginia, for instance, had a national high of 34% of households with no income. These states tend to have older populations, higher rates of disability, and lower median incomes overall. In such contexts, a larger portion of households rely on non-earned income sources or report no income during the survey period.

If you think AI is coming for your job, experts suggest adding more money to an emergency savings fund ahead of time.

The median trust fund contains roughly $285K

That’s according to data from the US Federal Reserve. There isn’t a specific net worth that can help determine whether or not someone needs a trust—but contrary to popular belief, trust funds can be great estate planning tools, even for people who aren’t ultra-wealthy.

Read why Gen Z is saving more for retirement than older generations

Despite more and more Americans taking money from their retirement funds to cover expenses, many members of Gen Z are investing more in their retirement. Part of the reason for increased savings amongst this generation could be better-designed retirement plans.

Roughly 43 million Americans hold a cumulative $1.6T in federal student debt

About 43 million Americans hold a cumulative $1.6T in federal student debt. That's more than the country's combined credit card balance, according to data from in the first quarter of the year 2024.

Learn how to withdraw $1K from your IRA

Normally, you face a large penalty if you take money out of your IRA before age 59½. Now the IRS is letting individuals withdraw up to $1K without facing the 10% fee (with the exception of Roth IRAs) for emergencies.

A 2024 report found that the average American vacation costs nearly $2K per person.

More than half of student loan borrowers owed less than $25K in federally managed student debt as of 2024.

The average US household carries $105,056 in total debt

This article breaks down the average household debt by category, including credit card debt ($6,523), personal loans ($11,274), and more.

The average American household spends over $3K annually on dining out

The exact number is $3,228, or $269 per month. WalletHub found the number by crunching the data reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics between 2014 and 2023.

How many Americans receive government assistance?

In 2022, nearly half of all American children—and roughly one in three Americans overall—were enrolled in at least one government assistance program. Those programs provide support for people who cannot afford healthcare, food, housing, or other needs. Find out more about the number of Americans receiving government assistance here.

Calculate: Do you need to file for bankruptcy?

About 77% of American households had some debt at the end of 2023. However, when debt becomes crushing, it's time to consider a management plan or a bankruptcy filing. This calculator helps explore whether debt is manageable based on inputs like medical debt, payday loans, and gross annual income.

Over 25% of Americans regret using BNPL due to unexpected costs

Almost 24% of buy now, pay later users have missed payments, with younger users (32% of 18- to 29-year-olds) being more likely to fall behind on payments than their older counterparts. (Only 12% of adults age 60 or over had done the same.)

Why Americans are drowning in credit card debt

Americans owe more than $1T to credit card companies. And with rising interest rates that prevent cardholders from paying down debt (not to mention the rising cost of living), that number is likely to keep growing. A podcast episode explains how the US got here, and what policymakers and individuals can do about it.

The average household checking account balance is $16K, while the median is $2.8K

Average household checking account balances have doubled since 1989. Older, white, educated, and male customers tend to have larger balances on average, according to the data. See further data visuals here.

Experts recommend keeping one to two months' worth of expenses in checking

That amount allows you to pay your bills and avoid overdraft fees while ensuring you don't lose interest. Most checking accounts have a near-zero interest rate (0.07% APY on average) while high-yield savings could earn up to 4% as of 2026. Cash sitting in your checking account can mean a loss of hundreds of dollars.

See a chart that shows how the average American spends their annual earnings, with almost half of all American consumer spending going toward transportation and housing.

Only half of American workers have retirement accounts, like 401(k) plans, through their current jobs.

Only 14% of transactions are in cash, as of 2025

Credit (35%) and debit (30%) cards have long eclipsed cash as the primary method of payment in the US. It is a primary backup, however, with 90% of customers intending to use cash to pay or store value and 80% carrying cash.

See the growth of US consumer debt

Americans reached an all-time high debt burden in 2024. Data compiled from The Kaplan Group shows the evolution of auto loans, mortgages, credit card debt, and student loans from 2003 to 2023, and finds that after a brief decline after 2008, the total debt burden grew rapidly.

There may be a surplus of nearly 8,000 emergency room doctors by 2030

That was the 2021 prediction of the American College of Emergency Physicians, which led to a sudden steep decline in the field among medical students and residents. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

If your job doesn’t offer a 401(k), you still have retirement savings options

Do you know more than a third of working adults aren't offered a 401(k) through their jobs? If you're part of that group, you still have options for retirement savings, including IRAs, taxable investment accounts, and more.

In Hawaii, the median household bank account balance is $43.6K

The media household bank account balance varies widely between states. In Mississippi, for instance, the median balance is much lower than Hawaii's at just $1.9K per household.

The 'ultrawealthy' in 2026 hold $30M or more

This group of ultra-high-net-worth individuals holds more than double the assets of the top 1% of Americans (and this group holds over a third of all American wealth). These folks go beyond a well-funded retirement plan and a paid-off home common to middle-class households with investments in private equity, commercial real estate, and alternative assets like art.

Read about the situations where a high-yield savings account doesn't make sense

While financial experts often recommend high-yield savings accounts, one expert argues that prioritizing adding more money to one doesn't make sense for someone who has a lot of high-interest debt or isn't taking advantage of their company's 401(k) match.

The salary needed to buy a home in the US

Anyone who has recently explored buying a home in the US knows it's not a cheap endeavor. The median salary for the typical American homebuyer has risen to roughly $104K, up from $88K two years ago. This data visualization breaks down the household income required to buy a median-priced home in 50 major US metro areas. Learn more here.

How much money you need to retire in each state

The average American thinks they'll need at least $1.46M to retire comfortably, according to a new study. But the actual floor for a comfortable retirement varies by state. In West Virginia, for instance, the study suggests that retirees only need to have about $712,921 saved for retirement.

57% of future homebuyers plan to put down less than the recommended 20% on a house

Historically, experts have recommended buyers put down 20% on a house when buying. But due to rising housing costs and the cost of living, this goal is unattainable for many buyers.

Near-universal banking masks a large underbanked shadow system

FDIC data indicates 128 million households have a checking account, the vast majority (96% in 2024). But more than 14% of households are underbanked, meaning they have accounts but also rely on nonbank services such as check cashing, payday loans, or prepaid cards.

In 2024, the average US wedding cost was around $33K

That's up from $29K in 2023, according to this 2024 weddings report. But that’s not the only surprising fact from the report: For instance, 89% of couples started wedding planning before getting engaged.

30% of Americans make New Year's resolutions

The practice is more popular among younger people: In a Pew Research Center study, nearly half of people under 30 reported making at least one resolution. The majority of Americans (of all ages) who didn’t make resolutions said they simply don’t like the tradition.

Over one-third of Americans have lost money on a gift card

They've done so by letting it expire (20%), losing the card (17%), or due to a retailer going out of business before they could redeem a card (12%). That's according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited Bankrate research from 2024. This article explains how to maximize your gift card's value.

The hardest US states to save money in, mapped

According to data from Bankrate, Tennessee ranks as the easiest state in the US to save money, while Hawaii is the most difficult for those attempting to build a savings fund. This map of the US shows where all the states rank in-between. Some may surprise you. See the map here.

Retirement expectations versus reality

There's a big gap between what many Americans expect to happen during retirement and what actually happens—at least according to one financial planner. In this article, the financial planner in question explores how retirement expectations can differ from reality, exploring financial considerations such as how long people expect to work part-time during retirement, and more. Read the article here.