This monthly composite index measures the financial resilience of Americans in a five question survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet, across financial security, financial strength and economic outlook. Each of the five questions is weighted equally in this composite score, where zero would mean no resilience, and 100 represents perfect financial resilience.
We’re launching this resilience index at a time of notable economic uncertainty. American consumers have faced elevated inflation for several years and now a labor market that is less than welcoming to workers. There is an ongoing geopolitical conflict impacting oil prices and the continued threat of tariffs on global trade. And the ability to weather these and other difficult economic conditions depends largely on consumers’ financial positions and sense of financial safety.
Unsurprisingly, high income Americans and older generations are more financially resilient, as measured by this composite. These groups have more financial insulation that allows them to handle volatility with less disruption to their way of life.
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Financial Security
Financial security is a subjective measure of personal financial control and confidence. It’s the psychological aspect of resilience — how people feel about their financial conditions.
74%: Americans who feel in control of their day-to-day finances.
- Just 57% of those with annual household incomes less than $50k feel this way, compared with 71% in the $50k-$74.9k range, 68% of those with household incomes of $75k-$99.9k and 83% of those with household incomes of $100k or more.
- Baby boomers (84%) and millennials (74%) are more likely to feel this sense of control than Gen Xers (68%) and Gen Zers (63%)
Note: The survey defines Gen Zers as those 18-29; millennials, ages 30-45; Gen Xers, ages 46-61 and baby boomers, ages 62-80.
76%: Americans who are confident in their ability to pay all of their bills on time this month.
- Baby boomers are most likely to feel confident in their ability to pay all of their bills on time this month — 89% versus 71% of Gen Xers, 76% of millennials and 65% of Gen Zers.
Financial Strength
Financial strength goes beyond how people feel. It measures concrete financial capacity and stress.
37%: Americans who will have to rely on credit to manage at least some of their expenses this month.
- Higher income doesn’t seem to lessen this incidence. Across incomes, roughly equal shares will have to rely on credit (e.g., credit cards, BNPL, loans) to manage some or all of their expenses this month (41% if those with household incomes of less than $50k, 37% in the $50k-$74.9k range, and 35% each with household incomes of $75k-$99.9k and $100k or more).
- Parents of children under age 18 are more likely to have to rely on credit to manage at least some of their expenses this month — 47% versus 32% of people without children under 18.
63%: Americans with enough cash on hand to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense, should one arise this month.
- The difference across income groups is dramatic: 78% of those with household incomes of $100k or more have enough cash on hand to cover such an expense, compared to 61% with incomes in the $75k-$99.9k range, 58% of those in the $50k-$74.9k range, and 36% of those with household incomes less than $50k.
Economic Outlook
Economic outlook measures consumer expectations about future macroeconomic conditions.
66%: Americans who believe the U.S. economy will enter a recession in the next 12 months.
- Middle earners (those with household incomes from $50k to $74.9k) are most likely to believe the U.S. economy will enter a recession in the next 12 months: 75% versus 67% of those with household incomes less than $50k, 61% of those in the $75k-$99.9k range, and 64% of those with household incomes of $100k or more.
This is the longest-standing measure in our index. We’ve been asking about recession expectations since August 2025, when it was at 61%.
INDEX METHODOLOGY
Cite as NerdWallet (2026). “May 2026 Consumer Financial Resilience Index.” Retrieved from https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/studies/financial-resilience-index
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet from May 5-7, 2026 among 2,072 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].
All five questions across this survey are weighted equally to develop a composite score with a maximum value of 100.
