How Many Americans Are Stressed About Money?

Living debt-free isn’t realistic for most Americans; almost everyone carries some form of debt. For many, this debt is a significant source of stress. MoneyGeek surveyed more than 1,200 Americans with debt to learn more about their most significant financial stressors and understand how they perceived and dealt with their finances.

MoneyGeek also reviewed data from the New York Federal Reserve’s Household Credit and Debt Report in a separate household debt analysis to explore the complex ways COVID-19 has affected debt in the United States.

• Finances were a source of stress for the majority (89%) of respondents.
• Retirement (40%) and credit card debt (35%) were the two most common sources of stress reported.
• Despite feeling stressed about their finances, nearly one-third (32%) of survey respondents felt they were better off financially during the pandemic.
• More than half (52%) of respondents reported feeling optimistic or very optimistic about the future of their finances.

MoneyGeek’s survey found that 89% of respondents — all of which had debt — were stressed about their financial situation.

Debt can significantly impact mental health, and with the average American holding $53,897 in personal debt, it’s no wonder that so many people are anxious about their finances. It’s worth noting that debt has increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — according to MoneyGeek’s debt analysis, the average household debt went up 3% since the first quarter in 2020.

We asked participants to rate the most significant sources of money-related stress to determine the biggest sources of their financial concerns amid COVID-19.

Saving enough for retirement and managing credit card debt were the two most common stressors for all participants. However, our results also showed some fundamental differences in sources of stress based on income and age.

MoneyGeeks’ survey found significant differences in stress based on income.

For example, individuals who made $34,999 or less a year were most stressed about having a stable income and affording day-to-day expenses. Those who had annual incomes of $100,000 or more reported feeling most concerned about their retirement savings.

Survey results also revealed significant generational differences in sources of financial stress.

Gen Z adults ages 18–24 and millennials ages 25–34 reported feeling most concerned about student debt — nearly 25% of Gen Z respondents and over 20% of millennials cited student loans as the financial factor in their lives that caused them the most stress.

MoneyGeek’s debt analysis found that student loan debt doubled since the end of the Great Recession in 2010. Currently, the average American household has more than $58,000 in student loan debt — that’s over $1.5 trillion owed across the country.

More than half (52%) of respondents in MoneyGeek’s survey reported being optimistic or very optimistic about their financial futures. These results fell in line with the way respondents perceived their current financial situations: Nearly one-third (32%) reported feeling better or much better off financially than they were six months ago, and just 17% reported feeling worse or much worse off.

Just 17% of respondents reported being pessimistic or very pessimistic about their future finances. The remaining 31% were neither optimistic nor pessimistic.

Like sources of financial stress, these attitudes differed by age group. Millennials had the most positive outlook, with approximately 58% saying they felt optimistic or very optimistic about their financial futures.

Adults ages 45–54 — also known as Gen X — were less hopeful, with just 44% saying they felt optimistic or very optimistic.

Older adults were more likely to express pessimism: 21% of respondents ages 55 to 64 reported feeling pessimistic or very pessimistic about their financial futures.

MoneyGeek’s survey revealed that many consumers are taking action to manage their finances.

Over one-third (36%) of respondents reported paying down their credit card balances in the past six months. This result is in line with insights from MoneyGeek’s debt analysis, which found that in total, Americans paid down $110 billion in credit card debt over the last six months, an average of $2,049 per household.

Approximately 34% of survey respondents said they cut down on their expenses to improve their financial situation.

Nearly one-quarter (24%) searched for or took on additional work to increase their earnings.

More than one-quarter (27%) used savings or emergency funds to cover expenses, and 9% reported contacting creditors to seek debt relief.

Because the expanded child tax credit was a key federal measure in COVID-19 economic recovery, MoneyGeek was also interested in seeing how it impacted Americans' finances.

The IRS estimates that child tax credit payments cover nearly 90% of children in the United States. Approximately 40% of respondents have children under 18, a number consistent with the U.S. Census estimate of the percentage of American households with children (40%).

Married couples earning up to $150,000 in adjusted gross income and single-parent families earning up to $112,500 qualify for the expanded child tax credit as part of the American Rescue Plan that became law in March 2021. This legislation increased the child tax credit from $2,000 to $3,000–$3,600 per child for qualifying families.

However, 10% of respondents in MoneyGeek’s survey indicated they were unsure if they were eligible or not. Another 29% reported being sure they were eligible for the tax credits.

As part of our survey, MoneyGeek explored how eligible families planned to use their child tax credit. Over 40% of respondents planned to spend it on current living expenses, and 38% said they would spend it on childcare expenses.

MoneyGeek consulted consumer finance experts to get their perspectives on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected spending behaviors and the average American’s relationship with their finances.

MoneyGeek’s survey was fielded via SurveyMonkey on July 27th, 2021 and included 1,228 responses from individuals who reported having household debt of any kind.