Cost increases for things like housing, college, and healthcare have far outpaced wage growth for decades. The result: Even some American households making more than $200,000 end up living paycheck to paycheck, let alone those trying to get by at or under the average American household income of $69,000. Not only do 70% of Americans currently live paycheck to paycheck, the same percentage are considered financially unhealthy.
This article from NPR dives deeply into the topic, with human examples and economic charts showing both the underlying math and the human consequences. It essentially amounts to written proof of the quote from Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economist Richard Thaler:“People aren’t dumb. The world is hard.”
Though the NPR piece was written in 2020, the story remains largely unchanged in 2025. Because so many of the people who are struggling are employed in (at least) one full-time role, we believe this is one of the largest unaddressed employer opportunities that exists, and a primary driver of healthcare costs, turnover, workplace safety incidents, and absenteeism.
That’s precisely why we built Brightside, and the category of Financial Care. We help people navigate all of the complex factors that make life hard, so they can improve their immediate financial strains, show up to work as their best selves, and improve their financial health so they begin to feel hope for their financial future.
This article was originally published in December 2020, and was updated on May 23, 2025.
