From today’s CNBC News:
If your car breaks down or you get sick, do you have enough money saved to cover the unexpected expense? If you’re like many Americans, the answer is probably no.
A recent survey from personal finance website Bankrate found that just 40 percent of Americans have enough saved to cover a $1,000 unexpected expense. Research from Prudential found that 60 percent of families have experienced some kind of financial emergency in the past year.
What’s more, the median American household’s liquid net worth is just about $813, according to Prudential. When faced with a cash crunch, individuals tend to turn to their retirement accounts through loans or hardship withdrawals, credit cards or payday loans.
“If you don’t have that buffer, it could be a time of enormous stress. And in that time of stress, often people will tap sources that are not ideal for them,” said Phil Waldeck, president of Prudential Retirement.
That has prompted Prudential to launch a new option for emergency savings that can be added alongside its retirement plans. The savings is an after-tax contribution that allows employees to automatically put money away in low-cost investments such as money market or so-called stable value funds.
Read the complete article here.