Paycheck-to-paycheck workers face financial crisis from single missed payment

50% of Americans lack sufficient emergency savings to absorb even one week of lost income, forcing them into debt, missed bills, or financial ruin. Workers living paycheck-to-paycheck have no buffer for job loss, illness, or payment delays, yet existing emergency savings products and financial planning tools fail to address the root cause: insufficient income relative to expenses. Current solutions focus on budgeting or savings apps rather than solving the immediate cash flow crisis when income stops.