--- title: Why Feeling Financially Secure Depends on More Than Just Income description: Financial security doesn't just depend on income. Here are three other aspects of your finances that play an important role. authors: - name: Marc Guberti url: https://money.com/author/marc-guberti/ bio: Marc Guberti is a personal finance writer who hosts Breakthrough Success, a podcast where he teaches listeners how to grow their businesses and achieve personal transformations. at_money_since: 2024 articles: 437 covers: - Personal Finance - Banking - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes published: '2026-02-24T17:00:28.000Z' modified: '2026-03-23T16:07:18.000Z' section: Personal Finance word_count: 546 canonical: https://money.com/why-feeling-financially-secure-isnt-about-income/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Older man and young woman at a marina next to a yacht](https://img.money.com/2025/12/Explainer-Feeling-Rich.jpg) A high income can help you feel financially secure, but there are other factors that make a huge difference as well. Someone with a lower income could feel more secure than someone with a higher income, depending on whether they have debt, an emergency fund and a strong savings plan. Optimizing your finances and lifestyle with strong money habits can help give you peace of mind. Here are three factors aside from income that can impact whether you feel financially secure. ## 1\. Debt Even if you have a high income, high-interest debt — like credit card debt — can weigh significantly on your finances and financial security. Of course, you can and often should use debt in ways that can better your finances, like using a mortgage to buy a home and student loans to further your education and allow you to get a higher-earning job. But high-interest debt means that a significant portion of your income will go towards interest. Someone with a lower income but no debt may feel more financially secure than someone with a higher income but high-interest debt. Not having to worry about interest payments can give your budget some room to breathe as you build wealth over time. ***Gold Investor Kit Offer: [Sign up with American Hartford Gold today and get a free investor kit, plus receive up to $20,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases](https://money.com/pr/u3ef79664b8e)*** ## 2\. Emergency fund Someone with a higher income but no emergency fund may feel less financially secure than someone with a lower income but cash reserves in case the the unexpected happen, like they lose their job, face a surprise medical bill or have to urgently pay for a car repair. Financial advisors tend to recommend having enough money to cover your expenses for three to six months should you face an emergency. If your income is irregular, you may want to save a bit more. While it’s important to let your money grow in the financial markets, you also want to have this set amount of money in a liquid account like a [high-yield savings account](https://money.com/best-high-yield-savings-accounts/). ***Pet Protection: [See How Spot Pet Insurance Can Help Your Dog or Cat](https://money.com/pr/m999af985bb0?data-trk-company=spot-pet-insurance-review&data-trk-imp=true&data-trk-pcu-type=direct_link&data-trk-pcu-uuid=m999af985bb0&encoded_id=)*** ## 3\. Budgeting and spending habits A key part of financial security is not living above your means so that you don’t risk running out of money. This is important during your working years, but it becomes especially important as you near retirement and lose out on your regular paycheck. People with a lower income who budget and spend in a way that allows them to save and invest as well as enjoy their lives may feel more financial security than someone with a high income who overspends and doesn’t save. A [budgeting app](https://money.com/best-budgeting-apps/) like YNAB can help you keep your finances in check, and encourage you to think twice every time you’re tempted to swipe your credit card on something that doesn’t fit into your budget. ***Extra Money: [Get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new active SoFi invest account](https://money.com/pr/x00f9061e638)*** It can also help to specifically save for an “experience budget” that covers travel, hobbies and other fun activities that aren’t essentials. This can help you avoid feeling bad about spending your money while also not jeopardizing your long-term financial goals. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/why-feeling-financially-secure-isnt-about-income/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Personal Finance", "item": "https://money.com/personal-finance/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Income", "item": "https://money.com/income/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why Feeling Financially Secure Depends on More Than Just Income" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/why-feeling-financially-secure-isnt-about-income/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/why-feeling-financially-secure-isnt-about-income/", "name": "Why Feeling Financially Secure Depends on More Than Just Income", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2026-02-24T17:00:28.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/why-feeling-financially-secure-isnt-about-income/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/why-feeling-financially-secure-isnt-about-income/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2026-03-23T16:07:18.000Z" }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "Why Feeling Financially Secure Depends on More Than Just Income", "articleSection": "Personal Finance", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2025/12/Explainer-Feeling-Rich.jpg", "width": 2121, "height": 1414, "caption": "Explainer-Feeling-Rich" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marc Guberti", "url": "https://money.com/author/marc-guberti/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/marc-guberti/#author", "description": "Marc Guberti is a personal finance writer who hosts Breakthrough Success, a podcast where he teaches listeners how to grow their businesses and achieve personal transformations.", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2026-02-24T17:00:28.000Z", "description": "Financial security doesn't just depend on income. 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