04/11/2026
I deployed to Iraq. I've sat with clients who got a diagnosis that changed everything overnight. I've watched people lose businesses, marriages, and health in spans of time so short they couldn't process what was happening.
The image on this post isn't hypothetical. It's Tuesday for somebody right now.
Here's what that reality means from a financial planning perspective.
The average American has less than $1,000 in savings available for an emergency. 40% of households couldn't cover a $400 unexpected expense without borrowing. One car accident, one ER visit, one unexpected job loss, and the financial plan that felt solid last month is suddenly in crisis.
An emergency fund isn't a boring financial concept. It's the difference between a bad month and a bad year. Between a setback and a spiral.
Beyond the emergency fund there are two more things that most people delay until it's too late.
Disability insurance. If you can't work you can't earn. Your ability to generate income is your most valuable financial asset and most people have zero protection on it. The odds of experiencing a disability that keeps you out of work for 90 days or more before age 65 is roughly 1 in 4.
Life insurance. If someone depends on your income they are one phone call away from a completely different financial reality without it. Term life insurance for a healthy 35 year old costs less per month than most streaming subscriptions.
Nobody plans to need any of this. That's exactly why you need to plan for it before you do.
