Many Americans’ bank accounts are on life support.
Some 40 percent of consumers were living paycheck-to-paycheck out of necessity in December 2025, according to a recent survey of 2,465 people from financial data and news site PYMNTS. The sheer number of those waiting on their next paycheck to cover expenses signals a troublesome financial reality for many.
Living paycheck to paycheck – using most of a paycheck for necessities with little or no money left over for savings – became more prevalent as the year went on, PYMNTS found. Some 29 percent of consumers entered 2025 barely surviving on their paychecks, and that number jumped 16 percentage points by December.
I agree. Everything I’ve learned about personal finances has come from podcasts - not school. I started when I was around 27, and I’m now by far the wealthiest in my friend group despite all of them being higher educated than me.
As thankful as I am for having learned this stuff later rather than never, I’d be so much better off if I’d known it when I was 18. When it comes to investing, missing a decade is a massive nerf. I’d be on my way to being a millionaire by the time I retire.