Inflation & Prices

Shrinking Minority of Americans Able to Cover $400 Surprise Bill

  • Emergency expenses strain lower-income brackets, students more
  • US adults report more frequent, costlier emergency expenses

Pedestrians and shoppers in New York.

Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg
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Fewer Americans can afford to foot a $400 emergency expense compared with last quarter, according to a new survey.

The share of US adults who said they could cover a surprise $400 bill in the third quarter without taking on debt dropped two percentage points to 46%, according to a poll conducted by decision intelligence company Morning Consult for Bloomberg News.