The news: More than half of US consumers are at least somewhat concerned about their ability to cover unexpected emergency expenses this year, per a study from Splitit and PYMNTS Intelligence fielded in January and February.

• Of consumers who made emergency purchases of more than $250 in the prior three months, the top category was auto parts and accessories, followed by products for repairs or maintenance, and then appliances.
• And among this group, about 43% paid with readily available cash, 32% paid with a credit card, and almost 9% used BNPL.