Methodology

America's Emergency Savings Report 2026 is based on an online survey of 3,000 U.S. adults conducted July 16 - 27, 2026, by 3Gem Research & Insights on behalf of Cashback Loans. Respondents were drawn from 3Gem's in-house panel of double opt-in members.

Quotas were set on gender, age and region so that the sample is nationally representative of U.S. adults on those characteristics. The margin of error for the full sample is ±2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The survey was conducted in compliance with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct.

• Figures for subgroups, such as respondents who borrowed for essential expenses, are based on smaller samples and carry a wider margin of error.
• Percentages are rounded and may not total 100.
• Questions about the past 12 months refer to the year before the fieldwork dates.
• The sample is representative by gender, age and region. It was not set to match the population on income, education or other characteristics.