**Americans Are Broke: 2025 Bank Account Reality Check**

A new survey just dropped and it's... not great. Here's the cold truth about how much cash Americans actually have sitting in their accounts right now:

**The Numbers Are Brutal:**
- 50% of Americans have less than $500 in savings (39% have $250 or less)
- 40% keep $500 or less in checking accounts
- 19% have literally zero savings
- 11% suffered overdrafts multiple times last year

**Who's Panicking?**
29% are "extremely stressed" about their savings, another 37% are "somewhat stressed." Millennials and Gen X are hit hardest—35-36% of people aged 35-54 are losing sleep over this.

**The Generation Gap:**
Baby boomers 65+ actually have money (42% with $2k+), while younger Gen Z and millennials (25-34) are the most likely to have zero emergency fund.

**What Should You Actually Have?**
Financial advisors say keep 3-6 months of expenses as backup. Most Americans? Nowhere close. Even keeping 1-2 months of living expenses in checking would help avoid overdraft hell.

The real issue: high interest rates + stubborn inflation = Americans living paycheck to paycheck with minimal safety net. Economic pressure is real.