Here's another headline that underscores America's savings problems: Two-thirds of U.S. adults would struggle to handle a $1,000 crisis.
A survey conducted by the Associated Press found that three-quarters of those making less than $50,000 a year say they would have a tough time scraping together $1,000 in the event of an emergency. That dovetails with a recent study that found that nearly half of Americans would struggle to pay a $400 bill.
What is truly alarming is that those with higher incomes aren't that much less likely to report a similar lack of savings. Two-thirds of those with incomes between $50,000 and $100,000 say they would have difficulty fielding $1,000.
Things are much better for those making over $100,000 a year, but low bank account balances are by no means a rarity among those with six-figure salaries. Thirty-eight percent of such Americans, who are in the top 20 percent of incomes, say they'd struggle to come up with $1,000 on short notice.
Confronted with a $1,000 bill, a third say they would borrow money from the bank, friends or family, or put the bill on a credit card. Eleven percent say they wouldn't pay the bill at all, while 13 percent say they would, but by skipping other bills.
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The good news is that our financial woes are apparently not getting us down. Two-thirds of those polled said they felt positive about their money situation. On a day-to-day basis, they're doing okay, able to buy their morning coffee, fill up the gas tank, and meet colleagues for happy hour.
It's when the conversation shifts to long-term financial security that Americans become more pessimistic. Fifty-four percent say they are not confident that they will have enough saved for retirement and only 14 percent contend they have enough money to stop working when they reach retirement age.
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