How does that go for Americans who cannot afford to pay for a $400 surprise expense out of pocket?

https://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerscommunities/sheddata...

Let them eat crow.

If you can't afford a surprise expense, you need to build up an emergency fund as a buffer. The first step in doing so is almost always to find opportunities to lower your expenses and put it towards savings. As a society, we've gotten very good at encouraging people to quickly spend all their money.

I'm absolutely not saying this alone is sufficient - particularly if you're unemployed or your job truly doesn't pay a living wage. There are absolutely people who don't make enough to survive - and that's a bigger problem of course.