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$5 doesn't pay rent, nor will it buy much food. If your main account gets closed, you probably won't get your next pay check because it takes time to switch the direct deposit. If you get something like disability, it might leave you a month without money.

You can be poor without debt, btw: I do not include debt in with poverty. Debt amount doesn't reflect your quality of life (though garnished wages sometimes might hint at it).

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No poor person would get a $100k loan.

In general, I agree with you and I almost typed the same. Getting a car loan is absolutely difficult, hence the existence of buy here pay here sorts of places. Predatory loans are basically the only thing available in an emergency.

But I figure some fringe cases would absolutely make someone be both poor and that much in debt, generally stemming from things like a family losing an income after buying a home and to a lesser extent, things like student loans and medical debt - though I*m not sure either go as high.

$100k of debt for a poor person is not unrealistic, between student loans and/or medical debt.

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