INDIANAPOLIS— Getting your finances in order is often at the top of New Year’s resolution lists, but a new survey shows fewer Americans believe their financial situation will improve in the year ahead.
“Unfortunately, about one-third of Americans believe their finances will get worse in 2026,” said Ted Rossman, a senior analyst at Bankrate.
According to a financial outlook survey by Bankrate, respondents say inflation remains their biggest financial stressor.
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Fewer people believe their finances will improve in 2026 according to survey
“Prices aren’t growing all that much right now, mid to upper 2% depending on which metric you use,” said Rossman. “But that’s on top of a much higher base after all the jumps we’ve seen over the past few years.”
Among the four demographic groups surveyed, baby boomers say they expect to feel the impact the most.
“Some of this may be the classic fixed-income issue,” Rossman said. “If you’re a retired boomer or someone close to retirement, higher prices are straining you more.”
Rossman says younger Americans are showing more optimism and that’s a bright spot.
“In general, people in their 20s and 30s are feeling a bit more optimistic about their finances,” he said. “Which I actually took as a real silver lining because as we know there’s a lot of things stressing that group whether that be high home prices, high child care costs and rising costs across the board.”
According to the survey, paying down debt is the top financial goal for the new year.
Rossman recommends looking for a zero-percent balance transfer credit card to help reduce interest payments. For those focused on saving, he suggests gradually increasing 401(k) contributions every six months and automatically depositing money into savings with each paycheck.
And while many Americans remain worried about their finances, Rossman says there are signs of potential relief — including tax cuts passed earlier this year.
“Tariffs were a huge worry in 2025 and to be honest they haven’t made prices move as much as we thought they would, so if we continue to get more clarity there and we continue to see more months where wage growth outpaces inflation that may give people the ability to catch up a bit and hopefully feel better than the are right now,” said Rossman