A study of financial data shows Arizonans generally are not in good financial shape, compared to the rest of the country.
For example, about 32 percent of Arizonans, the fourth-hightest rate in the country don't have three months' worth of savings to cover expenses.
The Corporation for Enterprise Development's "Assets and Opportunities Scorecard" finds many more troubling facts: 11.6 percent of Arizona households don't have a bank account. That's also the fourth-highest level.
More than 60 percent of Arizonans have subprime credit -- 12th-highest in the nation. The bankruptcy rate is the 16th-highest. The average credit card debt is more than $10,000. The student-loan default rate easily is the worst in the nation.
Less than 38 percent of Arizona workers participate in a retirement plan, which is the fourth-lowest rate in the country.
All this despite the average annual pay in Arizona being pretty close to the national average.
And whatever these people are spending their money on, it's probably not health insurance -- Arizona's uninsured rate is one of the highest in the country, and only one state has a higher rate of uninsured children in low-income families.
It's not only a money-management problem, but a money-making problem for many.
Arizona's income poverty rate is well above average. The rate of small-business ownership is the lowest in the country, and the underemployment rate is one of the highest in the country.
If there's a silver lining, it's that all states struggle with these issues to some degree. It's just that Arizonans are a bit worse.
If you need more information about how poor everyone is, click here to read more information on the study.
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