Are people doing well financially?
Overall financial well-being declined markedly over the prior year. Seventy-three percent of adults were doing at least okay financially in 2022, down 5 percentage points from 2021.
Most Americans Are Still Struggling Post COVID-19
At the same time, the bottom 40% of households experienced an 8% drop in their savings, while the middle class, which makes up the next 40%, has seen their cash savings fall below pre-COVID levels in the last quarter.
Only 48% of Americans have enough emergency savings to cover at least three months' worth of expenses, as of May 2023. 22% have no emergency savings at all. Americans' debt is piling up. 36% of U.S. adults have more credit card debt than emergency savings, as of January 2023, the highest percentage since 2011.
Two-thirds (67%) of Americans say that they've cut back on spending, and almost half (45%) say they've put some life plans on hold. A third (35%) have dipped into their savings or investments.
Early signs in 2024 are that consumers may be modestly pulling back on spending, but not to the point of hobbling economic growth. Solid consumer spending was key to surprisingly strong economic growth in 2023.
The survey also found that 37% of Americans are behind on monthly bills, which jumps to 53% among parents with young children. Additionally, 61% reported that inflation has impacted their ability to afford their lifestyle. "Yes, inflation seems to have peaked, but it hasn't gone away," Schulz continued.
A majority, 65%, say they live paycheck to paycheck, according to CNBC and SurveyMonkey's recent Your Money International Financial Security Survey, which polled 498 U.S. adults. That's a slight increase from last year's results, which found that 58% of Americans considered themselves to be living paycheck to paycheck.
In its 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the Federal Reserve estimated that the average transaction account balance was $62,410, which included savings and checking accounts, money market accounts, call deposit accounts and prepaid debit cards. However, the median balance was much lower at $8,000.
Trend from 2022 to 2023 in percentage of U.S. adults reporting they have enough money to live comfortably. This has varied between a high of 73% in 2007 to a low of 60% in 2012. It is 64% in the latest reading, in April 2023.
But despite the larger pressures, they're not satisfied with their situation; 57% of respondents said the current state of their savings is stressing them out. Nearly one in four (22%) of U.S. adults have no emergency savings at all, Bankrate found—the second-lowest percentage in 13 years of polling.
Does spending decline with age?
Analyzing information from a long-running study of older Americans, researchers Michael Hurd and Susann Rohwedder found that real spending adjusted for inflation declined for both single and coupled households after age 65 at annual rates of about 1.7 percent and 2.4 percent.
US consumers are purchasing fewer items across categories, reflecting subtle shifts in shopping behavior with meaningful consequences for consumer-packaged-goods players. Despite a relatively strong economy and low unemployment, consumers are buying fewer items—and spending more to do so.
APA's latest Stress in America survey found that 72 percent of Americans reported feeling stressed about money at least some time in the prior month.
The 65-and-older group did have the highest level of expenditures in two major components, health care and cash contributions. They spent $2,936 on health care (a 12-percent share), al- most $1,000 more than the 35- to 64-year old age group and $1,900 more than the under-35 age group.
We haven't seen a recession. To fight inflation, the Federal Reserve spiked interest rates in 2022 and 2023 at the fastest pace since the 1980s under legendary Fed chief Paul Volcker. Many feared that war on inflation would cause unemployment to surge and short-circuit the economic recovery from Covid-19.
According to the "full model," the US has an 85% chance of slipping into a downturn, the highest probability recorded since the 2008 Great Financial Crisis. Meanwhile, New York Fed economists are pricing in a 61% chance the US slips into recession sometime before January 2025.
Credit card balances, which are now at $1.13 trillion outstanding, increased by $50 billion (4.6%). Auto loan balances increased by $12 billion, continuing the upward trajectory that has been in place since 2020Q2, and now stand at $1.61 trillion.
Here's why so many Americans are under pressure. Collectively, Americans owe $1.13 trillion on their credit cards, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Higher prices have largely caused consumers to spend down their savings and lean on credit cards to make ends meet.
The average credit card balance is $10,848 per household, which is $1,940 below the all-time record, according to WalletHub's latest Credit Card Debt Study. All debt amounts on this page are adjusted for inflation, to allow for proper comparison against historical data.
Depending on the size of your family or household, an $80,000 salary may comfortably cover your living expenses. If other people in your household, such as children, depend on your income, consider how much it costs to pay for their living expenses in addition to your own.
How many Americans make 100k?
Only 18% of individual Americans make more than $100,000 a year, according to 2023 data from careers website Zippia. About 34% of U.S. households earn more than $100,000 a year, according to Zippia.
According to the US Census Bureau, the majority of Americans (54.98%) make $50,000 per year or less, while only 18% of individual Americans make $100,000 per year or more. This means that over 80% of Americans make less than $100,000 per year.
Age Range | Top 10% | Top 1% |
---|---|---|
20-24 | $64,855 | $129,709 |
25-29 | $142,680 | $303,736 |
30-34 | $188,079 | $468,035 |
35-39 | $230,234 | $1,048,484 |
Age by decade | Average net worth | Median net worth |
---|---|---|
30s | $277,788 | $34,691 |
40s | $713,796 | $126,881 |
50s | $1,310,775 | $292,085 |
60s | $1,634,724 | $454,489 |
Having $20,000 in a savings account is a good starting point if you want to create a sizable emergency fund. When the occasional rainy day comes along, you'll be financially prepared for it. Of course, $20,000 may only go so far if you find yourself in an extreme situation.
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