Americans have ambitious financial resolutions for 2026

Many Americans are ready to leave an economically turbulent 2025 behind and achieve greater financial goals in 2026.

New research from Edward Jones and Morning Consult showed two out of five Americans (41%) said their 2026 goals are larger and more ambitious than those set in 2025.

The top three financial resolutions are increasing income, building up a savings account and paying off credit card debt.

Inflation still looms large

Inflation continues to influence Americans’ financial lives, according to the survey, and was cited as the top reason people couldn’t maintain their 2025 resolutions. Nearly half of those surveyed (49%) said inflation kept them from reaching their 2025 financial goals, while 52% said inflation remains the biggest anticipated obstacle for 2026.

More than 80% said inflation is impacting their daily life, with 69% citing its effect on grocery shopping and 62% saying it’s influencing their ability to save. Inflation is driving shifts in everyday spending habits and prompting consumers to make tradeoffs on where their money goes.

• 44% of respondents expect to spend less on restaurants in 2026 compared with 2025.
• 34% of respondents expect to spend more on groceries in 2026 compared with 2025.
• 32% of respondents expect to spend less on travel in 2026 compared with 2025.

Meagan Dow, senior strategist, client needs research, at Edward Jones, told InsuranceNewsNet, “people do want to turn the page” in 2026.

“People want to have a fresh start and look at how they can make 2026 the best year that they can and start with fresh eyes,” she said.

Challenges remain, even as people plan to adjust their spending patterns to align with their financial goals.

“Inflation is definitely something we’ve seen a lot of anxiety over,” Dow said. Consumers may not have control over inflation, but an advisor can help with strategies to help overcome its impact.

“I think the role that an advisor can play is to take into account all of those things that might throw us off track or get us away from our goals while focusing on what’s within our control that allows us to work around those things that aren’t in our control,” she said. “When it comes to inflation, it might be revisiting the budget. Are there areas that we can cut that give us more wiggle room if inflation is higher than what we expect? I think there are a lot of areas where financial advisors can come in and say, let’s focus on the elements that we can have an influence over, and spend our time on those.”

Consumers still trust humans more than artificial intelligence

Americans still trust traditional budgets and people more than AI when it comes to staying accountable to their financial goals. More than 80% said budgeting is the most helpful tool for setting and sticking to their 2026 goals, followed by family and friends (58%) and online tools or apps (56%). By comparison, only 42% said AI tools are helpful, and 19% said technology is not helpful at all.

An increased dedication to investing

Many of those surveyed said they plan to invest more money in 2026. Nearly one-quarter (23%) expect to contribute more to investments in 2026 compared with 2025.

Some are turning to professionals for help, with one in five (22%) engaging with a financial advisor to kick start their financial goals. This number slightly increases to 26% for Americans who feel confident they will stick to their 2026 financial resolutions.

One-third of Americans (33%) planned to meet with their financial advisor about their 2026 goals before the new year starts. Another 44% aren’t far behind, planning to meet with their financial advisor between January and March to act on their financial resolutions.

Advisors can be important accountability partners for clients who want to see their financial resolutions come to fruition, Dow said.

“It seems like now is an opportune moment for advisors to seize the interest that people have in making their financial resolutions and help them break those resolutions down into small, achievable pieces.”

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