Discover Survey: Americans Seek to Improve Their Financial Lives Amid Uncertainty
Two-thirds of Americans are experiencing moderate to high financial stress, and half aren't financially prepared for the unexpected
More than four in five Americans (84%) are interested in improving their financial situation, but two in five (41%) are unsure about how to best manage their personal finances, according to a new national survey conducted by Discover® Personal Loans. Many Americans believe their financial situation will stay the same (41%) or get better (38%) in the year ahead, but 20% expect their financial situation to be worse off.
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Americans seek to improve their financial lives amid uncertainty.
"I'm inspired that Americans are motivated to seek a brighter financial future, and that many are making or searching for a game plan to achieve their financial goals," said Dan Nickele, vice president, Discover Personal Loans. "American consumers also told us they anticipate costs to rise in categories like groceries and healthcare. Weathering the storm requires a strong financial foundation which can include taking actions like creating a budget, contributing to an emergency fund, and exploring opportunities to refinance high-interest debt."
Americans brace for rising costs and debt challenges in 2025
Americans anticipate inflation will increase their costs in many key categories in 2025:
Spending category |
% of Americans that expect the category to be among their top 5, for spending the most money in 2025* |
% of Americans that believe their costs will increase ‡ |
% of Americans that believe their costs will increase dramatically or significantly (6% to more than 10%) ‡ |
Groceries |
70% |
67% |
45% |
Housing |
49% |
54% |
30% |
Healthcare / Medical Expenses |
30% |
67% |
39% |
Debt repayment |
29% |
50% |
27% |
Transportation |
26% |
53% |
29% |
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* "In which categories do you think you'll spend the most money on in 2025? Please select up to 5." Survey respondents chose up to five top spending categories from among 14 categories presented as answer options. |
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‡ Subset: "Compared to the last 12 months, how much more or less do you anticipate your top spending categories will cost over the next 12 months?" Data shown in table represents the percentage of Americans who believe their costs will increase over the next 12 months, from among those who chose the respective spending category as among their top 5 for spending the most money in 2025. |
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Furthermore, nearly half (44%) of Americans say they're currently in debt. Of those in debt:
- 84% say inflation makes managing personal debt challenging.
- 83% say a budget is a helpful tool for managing personal debt, but only 44% say they created a budget for 2025.
- 77% say paying off personal debt is expensive.
- 70% are not financially prepared for unexpected expenses over $2,500.
- 58% feel they will never get out of debt.
- 52% lose sleep over personal debt.
- 48% aren't confident they'll get their debt paid off within the next year.
- 48% say their personal debt is unmanageable – including credit card debt (70%), medical debt (38%), and money owed to family/friendly (25%).
- 33% report a significant amount of debt.
- 37% avoid looking at the amount of money in their bank account.
Inflation and routine expenditures are top sources of financial stress
When asked to think about the current state of the economy, survey respondents were split on the overall direction they believe the U.S. is moving: 48% say we're heading in the wrong direction, 31% say in the right direction and 15% say neither. Economic uncertainty may be impacting financial stress, as 86% of Americans have some level of concern about their personal financial situation with two-thirds (66%) experiencing high or moderate anxiety. Financial stress has remained consistently high over the past five years:
Year |
Feel at least occasional concerns (2025) / Feel some level of anxiety (2021-2024) ** |
2025 |
86% |
2024 |
80% |
2023 |
76% |
2022 |
80% |
2021 |
71% |
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** About the 2024 survey: The national survey of 1,500 U.S. residents ages 18 and up was commissioned by Discover and conducted by Dynata (formerly Research Now/SSI), an independent survey research firm. The survey was fielded from April 16 through April 23, 2024. The maximum margin of sampling error was +/-3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence. "What level of anxiety, if any, do you have about your financial situation?" question was asked of U.S. consumers in each annual survey conducted by Dynata (formerly Research NOW/SSI) on behalf of Discover, from 2021 – 2024. |
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In 2025, nearly half of Americans say inflation (49%) and everyday expenses (45%) contribute to their feelings of financial stress. At least one-quarter of Americans experience financial anxiety due to the state of the economy (38%), their personal debt (29%), unexpected expenses (28%), housing costs (27%) and their household income (25%).
50% of Americans aren't financially prepared for the unexpected
The survey found half of Americans don't have an emergency fund, and 27% feel they could be saving more toward their existing emergency fund. Also, half of Americans say they aren't financially prepared for unexpected expenses in general. Various circumstances that many Americans don't feel financially prepared to handle include:
Circumstance |
Do not feel financially prepared to handle |
An economic downturn or recession |
55% |
A family crisis (e.g., illness, death, legal issues) |
54% |
An unexpected expense over $2,500 |
53% |
Retirement |
50% |
Job loss or reduction in income |
49% |
Taking on caregiver expenses |
49% |
A major home improvement project or purchase |
49% |
At least one of the circumstances above |
77% |
Americans see personal loans as an option for unexpected expenses and high interest debt – but, with many strings attached (high/hidden fees, collateral, time and more)
Many Americans believe personal loans are a good option for a big, unexpected expense (53%), and a good option for someone with high-interest debt (39%). However, many negative perceptions of personal loans are also prevalent among U.S. consumers:
Personal Loan Perception |
American Consumers With This Perception |
Should be used as a last resort after exhausting all other options
|
65% |
Have high fees |
62% |
Have hidden fees |
55% |
Are difficult to qualify for |
55% |
Require collateral |
54% |
Are time consuming and require a lot of paperwork to get approved |
51% |
Are complicated to apply for |
49% |
Have higher rates than credit cards |
48% |
Negatively impact my credit score |
48% |
Are for people who have difficulty effectively managing their finances |
42% |
"At Discover, our goal is to help customers find smart solutions to achieve their financial goals. For some people, especially those with high-interest debt, a personal loan may be a helpful tool to reduce the cost of their interest and accelerate the elimination of debt," said Nickele. "Research is important when making big financial decisions, especially with some of the negative perceptions out there around personal loans. I encourage consumers who could benefit from a personal loan to look for lenders that offer competitive interest rates, no fees, flexible repayment terms and fast funding. If you already have a relationship with a credit card company or bank that you trust, that's a good place to start personal loan research."
Low awareness of resources for managing debt and personal finance
The survey also found many Americans may not be aware of the full spectrum of tools, products and concepts that could help them to manage debt and their personal finances:
Financial Tool / Product / Concept |
% of Americans Familiar |
Cashback debit cards |
38% |
Debt consolidation loans |
35% |
Home equity loans |
34% |
0% intro APR credit cards |
30% |
High-Yield savings accounts |
28% |
Snowball method to pay off debt |
13% |
50/30/20 budgeting rule |
12% |
Avalanche method to pay off debt |
9% |
Cash stuffing |
8% |
Americans that set 2025 financial goals are making progress by taking actions to create a strong foundation
Forty-five percent of Americans set financial goals or resolutions for 2025. Of those, 81% say they've made at least some progress (38% are happy with that progress, and 43% feel they could have made better progress). Top actions that the 38% of Americans who are happy with their progress have taken include creating and following a budget (36%), reducing discretionary spending (31%), investing (35%), contributing to an emergency fund (26%), increasing income streams (25%), and paying off or consolidating high interest debt (24%).
About the Survey
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Discover between March 13-19, 2025, among a weighted U.S. national sample of 1,500 adults. The interviews were conducted online. Results have a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) is a digital banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover® card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers personal loans, home loans, checking and savings accounts and certificates of deposit through its banking business. It operates the Discover Global Network® comprised of Discover Network, with millions of merchants and cash access locations; PULSE®, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International®, a global payments network with acceptance around the world. For more information, visit https://www.discover.com/company.
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Media Contact:
Matt Miller
Discover Financial Services
[email protected]