WalletHub’s nationally representative resolution survey found that nearly 60% of people believe 2026 will be better for their wallet than 2025, yet only 26% of Americans are planning to make finance-related New Year’s resolutions. The survey also includes findings on people’s motivations for making resolutions, their financial expectations and anxieties, and more. You can check out the results below.
Key Stats
- Hope for a More Prosperous Year: Almost 60% of people say that 2026 will be better for their wallet than 2025.
- Less Money to Celebrate With: More than 3 in 5 Americans expect to spend less money on New Year’s plans this year compared to last year.
- New Year, New Financial Goals: More than 1 in 4 Americans are planning to make finance-related New Year’s resolutions.
- Building Savings Tops Financial Resolutions: 31% of people making a financial resolution say they want to save more.
- Inflation Anxiety Persists: More than half of Americans say inflation is their biggest financial concern for 2026.
- Quiet Commitments: Nearly 3 in 5 people say they will keep their resolutions a secret this year.
Full Survey & Responses
| What type of New Year’s resolution are you most likely to make? | |
|---|---|
| Health | 34% |
| Financial | 26% |
| None | 16% |
| Relationships | 8% |
| Educational | 8% |
| Habitual (biting nails, being late, etc.) | 8% |
| Do you think that 2026 will be worse or better for your wallet than 2025? | |
| Better | 58% |
| Same | 22% |
| Worse | 20% |
| If you make a financial resolution, what will it be? | |
| Save more | 31% |
| Make more money | 26% |
| Spend less | 19% |
| Budget better | 9% |
| Improve financial literacy | 7% |
| Pay off debt | 7% |
| Improve credit score | 1% |
| What is your biggest financial concern for 2026? | |
| Inflation | 53% |
| Stock market drop | 21% |
| Recession | 19% |
| Job loss | 4% |
| Real estate downturn | 2% |
| Will it be harder to keep financial resolutions in 2026 than 2025? | |
| Yes | 62% |
| No | 38% |
| Do you expect to spend more or less money on New Year’s plans this year compared to last year? | |
| Less | 63% |
| More | 37% |
| Do you remember your New Year’s resolutions for 2025? | |
| Yes | 63% |
| No | 37% |
| Do you feel like you control your own financial destiny? | |
| Yes | 78% |
| No | 22% |
| Will you share your resolutions with others or keep them a secret? | |
| Keep a secret | 58% |
| Share | 42% |
| Which best describes New Year’s resolutions? | |
| Wishful thinking | 65% |
| Effective | 35% |
Note: Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding.
Survey Methodology
This report reflects the results of a nationally representative online survey of around 220 respondents.
After we collected all responses, we normalized the data by age, gender and income so the sample would reflect U.S. demographics.
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