Mar 17, 2020

Question of the Day: What's the probability of an American coming up with $2,000 in case of an unexpected need in February 2020?

With talk of federal stimulus which including a $1,000 to every adult over the age of 18, this question collected from survey data in February measures the level of financial fragility pre-Coronavirus slowdown. 

Answer: 71.6%

Questions:

  • What types of unexpected needs might cost $2,000?
  • How do you think that most adults would manage $1,000 check from the U.S. Government at this time?
  • What’s the best way to prepare for an unexpected expense? 
  • How do you think this percentage will change in the next 2-3 months? 

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (Federal Reserve):

The average likelihood of being able to come up with $2,000 in case of an unexpected need reached 71.6 percent in February, its highest level since October 2015.

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Looking for more Questions of the Day? Here's over 400 that we have developed over the past 2 1/2 years.  

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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