Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: Paycheck To Paycheck
BOSTON (CBS) - It's a story worth telling since we hear so much about an economic recovery.
A survey by Bankrate.com finds three quarters of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck - still struggling from the Great Recession.
Indeed, parts of our economy are recovering. Just look at the housing market.
But researchers found fewer than one-in-four have enough money in their savings account to cover at least six months of expenses. That's what financial planners tell you to have in case you lose your job or have a serious medical emergency.
One quarter of those surveyed had no savings at all - nothing in the bank beyond the paycheck.
Not that this is new, it's the continuation of a long trend in America.
The savings rate in the U.S. has actually been falling for a generation. And the problem was compounded in the last decade as many people were led to believe they could generate unlimited money in the stock and real estate markets.
Both turned out to be untrue. And many learned the hard way, having been left with no savings.
Then the recession hit and millions of people lost their jobs. Many had to cash-in their retirement accounts to pay the bills.
And so it's come to this - a scenario that's unfortunately familiar to many people, as we are learning in the WBZ Online Daily Poll.
You can follow Joe on Twitter @JoeMathieuWBZ.
