The Five Anchor States

A score on its own is just a number. What matters is what it tells you about your actual position — and whether that position is common, temporary, or worth paying closer attention to.

How It Works

Anchor State	Score Range	Runway
Fragile	50–224	Under 3 months
Cautious	225–450	3–6 months
Stable	451–700	6–9 months
Secure	701–850	9–12 months
Resilient	851–900	12+ months

The states move in one direction only in theory — in practice, a state reflects your current position, and can shift in either direction as savings, expenses, income, or dependents change.

What It Is Not

• A state is not a grade, and it is not a judgment of character, intelligence, or worth.
• Reaching Resilient is not a required destination — Secure and even Stable represent genuine, legitimate financial positions on their own.
• A state is not fixed. Movement in either direction is normal and expected as life changes.

The Five States

• Fragile — Little to no cushion. The most common starting point, not an exception.
• Cautious — Something has been set aside, though it's still thin.
• Stable — Routine disruptions are covered; an extended one isn't yet.
• Secure — An extended disruption is covered; a prolonged one isn't yet.
• Resilient — The strongest position the framework measures.

What You Can Do

Find your own state below, and read it in full — each state article covers what it means for you specifically, why it exists, and the actions that move you forward from exactly where you are.

Related Concepts

What Anchor Score Is; How Anchor Score Works; What Is Financial Runway

Next Step

Find your state → start with whichever of the five matches your own runway, or read What Anchor Score Is first if you haven't yet calculated it.