The age-old, personal finance rule-of-thumb is that every American household should have about three months salary tucked away in savings in the case of a really rainy day. In the the best of times, Americans are pretty poor savers; so, how feasible is a three-month financial cushion in these troubled economic times? A new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research decided to find out. Researchers asked Americans whether or not they would be able to raise $2,000 in cash within thirty days. The results of the poll may surprise you. We speak with Takeaway contributor and personal finance guru Beth Kobliner to get a look behind the numbers. Beth Kobliner is the author of “Get a Financial Life” and an appointee to the president’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability.
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