Most Americans are only a single paycheck away from financial ruin. It’s a shocking statistic from a report that should concern the vast majority of of households that have no emergency savings whatsoever

We’ve been through the importance of having an emergency fund before on this blog. But there are some common incidents that could happen to anyone, and have a major, negative impact on your financial security in more ways than one. Let’s see what you need to consider – and perhaps we can persuade you to start putting some money away in an emergency fund this time.

Illness

It costs a lot of money to access healthcare, which we all pay for through insurance over the course of our lives. When you’re young, fit and healthy, the chances are that you won’t even consider major illness as a problem – and your career will progress normally. But people can get sick at any time, and it is highly unlikely you and your household will never be affected by someone getting ill at some point.

When you bear in mind that something like 90% of Americans are on the wrong Medicare plan, it’s clearly a massive problem. Some of the most comprehensive insurance won’t actually cover you for all those expenses – which can run into tens of thousands – maybe more – for prolonged periods of illness. So, the choices are stark – either put aside some money in the event of an illness, or take your chances – which is a huge risk.

Accidents

Accidents happen all the time, at a rather alarming rate, and the reality for all of us is that it only takes a second for your life to change for the worse. If you have suffered injury because of someone else’s negligence, you have a chance of getting compensation thorough personal injury or car accident lawyers,  but there is other issues you need to understand. And, there is a possibility that you will have to front up a lot of cash unless your case is water tight.

Complicated cases can take an awfully long time to settle – and there is no guarantee the court will find in your favor. Also, your family will be under a lot more pressure as they will have to care for you in your injured state, and there is a chance you might slip into depression or suffer psychologically as well.

Economic disaster

Sometimes things can go terribly wrong, everyone’s finances are affected, and there is nothing you can do about it. Take the financial crisis of 2008 as the perfect example – the effect on poor people all around the world was disastrous, and we’re still feeling some of them today.

So, even when the going seems good, you can never be sure the rug won’t be pulled out from underneath you for reasons beyond your control. It’s best to start putting money away in an emergency fund straight away – and give yourself the right level of protection and financial buffer that every household needs.