Majority of Americans Say They Are Not Financially Secure

Seventy-two percent of Americans say they are not financially secure – with 3-in-5 of them blaming inflation.

WHY IT MATTERS – Financial wellness is a factor in how Americans evaluate the state of the economy and direction of the country.

THE NUMBERS – A recent Bankrate survey asked Americans based on their current personal financial situation if they felt financially secure or not.

  • 28 percent – said they were financially secure
  • 72 percent – said they were not financially secure

The survey also found that Americans said they needed to make $233,000 a year on average to be secure or comfortable with their finances – more than triple the average earnings for workers in 2021 ($75,203).

Another Bankrate survey asked Americans why they felt financially insecure (they could cite multiple reasons).

  • 63 percent – pointed to high inflation
  • 48 percent – blamed the economic environment more broadly
  • 36 percent – pointed to rising interest rates

BOTTOM LINE – Most Americans say they are not financially secure and aspects of the state of the economy are to blame. They also say they would need over $233,000 a year to be comfortable financially.

GO DEEPER – 

Bankrate – Survey: The average American feels they’d need over $200K a year to be financially comfortable