This seems to be the report and the specific section of interest: https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/emergency-savings-report/#americans-would-pay-for-an-

This seems to be the report and the specific section of interest: https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/emergency-savings-report/#americans-would-pay-for-an-emergency-from-their-savings https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/emergency-savings-r... You're right that the question they used is a bit vague, but there is a ton of other data in there that points to affordability as the main cause e.g. "Nearly a quarter of Americans have no emergency savings" and: "Sixty percent of Americans are uncomfortable with their level of emergency savings — 31 percent are very uncomfortable, and 29 percent are somewhat uncomfortable."