Bankrate Survey: 62% of Americans Feel Behind on Emergency Savings

More than three in five Americans (62%) feel that they are behind on their emergency savings, according to a new Bankrate survey.

That includes 26% who say they are slightly behind and 37% who say they are significantly behind.

In contrast, just 23% feel right on track with their emergency savings, while only 15% feel ahead (5% feel significantly ahead and 10% feel slightly ahead).

Further, only one in five say they have more emergency savings now than at the beginning of the year (20%).

Older generations are more likely to feel more unsatisfied about their emergency savings compared to younger generations.

Specifically, 73% of Gen Xers (ages 44-59) and 66% of baby boomers (ages 60-78) feel behind on their emergency savings compared to 52% of Gen Zers (ages 18-27) and 55% of millennials (ages 28-43).

Notably, Gen Xers are roughly eight times more likely to say they feel behind (73%), than they are to feel ahead (9%)

Despite so many being behind, just 1 in 5 (20%) say they have more emergency savings now compared to the beginning of the year, including 16% who have somewhat more, and 4% who have significantly more.

One-third (33%) say they have less emergency savings now, including 18% who say they have much less and 15% who say they have somewhat less in savings.

Among those with less emergency savings now compared to the beginning of the year, just 5% say they are ahead of where they should be, 8% feel right on track, and an overwhelming 88% say they are behind where they should be.

The biggest obstacles to saving cited among those who have not increased their emergency savings since the beginning of the year, are rising prices/inflation (53%), too many expenses (43%), and too much debt (24%).

Other reasons include a change in income/employment (18%), encountering a big emergency expense (15%), high interest rates (13%), and too much discretionary/leisure spending (9%).

On a positive note, 14% say they have not increased their emergency savings since the beginning of the year because they are comfortable with what they have.

Of those with the same amount of savings now compared to the beginning of the year, 25% say they are comfortable with what they have, while just 2% with less savings now compared to the beginning of the year feel the same way.

Bankrate commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the survey, the total sample size was 2,511 U.S. adults.