Americans Face Financial Strain Moving into 2026
Americans are feeling financially stressed heading into the new year, despite many promising to be more intentional with their finances in 2026.
A new study from Allianz Life found that 48% of Americans report feeling more stressed stepping into 2026 than they did entering the previous year. To compare, for 2025, 43% of Americans reported feeling financially strained.
Respondents cite high daily expenses (54%) and low income (46%) as the primary drivers of their stress, followed by lack of emergency funds (39%), increasing debt (35%), high health care costs (34%), and little job security (33%).
As Americans struggle with their current finances, nearly a third report having decreased confidence in their ability to hit their retirement goals this year. This was primarily true with Gen X and Gen Z respondents, of whom 38% and 32%, respectively, felt a drop in retirement optimism.
Further, Allianz Life reports that some believe they’ve only made small strides in their retirement goals, with 21% who say they’re further from reaching their targets now compared to last year.
“When feeling financially stressed, long-term goals like retirement can be the easiest to sideline because you don’t feel it in your day-to-day life,” says Kelly LaVigne, vice president of consumer insights at Allianz Life, in a statement. “But achieving long-term financial security takes time and you may be better off consistently working toward retirement incrementally than trying to wait until you can devote a larger part of your budget to the goal.”
Americans determined to keep financial resolutions
Overall, 46% of Americans plan on upholding their financial goals for the new year, like managing money better or saving more.
This was particularly true for younger workers. Over 50% of Gen Zers and 63% of Millennials intend to keep their financial resolutions for 2026, compared to 43% of Gen Xers and 23% of Baby Boomers.
Seeking guidance from an advisor to organize a financial plan could help workers keep track of and ultimately uphold their resolutions, says LaVigne. “At every stage of life, it can be important to consider a written financial strategy so that you document your financial goals,” she added. “Without a documented strategy for your finances, it can be tempting to spend now instead of saving for later. If you know why you are saving and what goals you are working toward, making those decisions can be simpler.”
Amanda Umpierrez is the Managing Editor of 401(k) Specialist magazine. She is a financial services reporter with nearly a decade of experience and a passion for telling stories and reporting news. She is originally from Queens, New York, but now resides in Denver, Colorado.