ALI VELSHI (CO-HOST): It's worth noting that federal workers, like many Americans, live paycheck to paycheck. So, we want to take a look at what these federal employees, again, like many working Americans, are facing financially. According to employment website Career Builder, 78 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck in 1970 -- sorry, in 2017, last year. That's up from 2016. In fact, the Federal Reserve found that almost half of adults could not cover an unexpected $400 expense. Things as small as a car repair, a burst pipe, or an illness have the potential to put many Americans into serious financial peril in a country where nearly three quarters of adults say they're already in debt, painting a dire picture of average American finances even before this government shutdown began. 

I've spent the weekend fielding tweets from many of our viewers who have been telling me about the great things that so many of their service providers, their cell phone company, and their banks are doing to accommodate federal workers and contractors, people who aren't being paid during this entirely unnecessary partial government shutdown. For many large companies, this is good will. The type of thing that their customers will reward them for with continued loyalty over the long run. But some of the businesses are small businesses. They're struggling themselves. And making these concessions will also hurt them. They have chosen to share the pain of their fellow Americans. 

And then there is a small group of companies in financial services that are doing nothing, or doing the least they can do to help. I've reached out to some of them privately on viewers' behalf. I don't think we can expect banks to forego interest payments, but we can ask them to delay payments without imposing late fees and other penalties. Missing even a single mortgage payment can cost 100 points on a credit rating, the kind of thing that can take more than a year to recover from and end up costing the borrower even more in the long run. Banks and phone companies and landlords have no obligation to help out, but I will remind you that ten years ago when many banks were hit hard by the financial crisis, American taxpayers stepped up to bail them out. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see I've been giving credit where credit is due to companies that are helping their fellow Americans through this tough time, and I will continue to do so. But, Stephanie, this is a moment in which, if a company, or landlord, or somebody can afford to help, what a great thing to be able to do so.

Previously: 

MSNBC highlights the impact of the government shutdown on federal employees

Rush Limbaugh on federal workers not being paid: It's the first time “people who live in Washington” have experienced economic hardship

Fox host on federal employees missing paychecks: “At least some people get to go to the beach”