Operation HOPE, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in an ever-changing economy, today released findings from the first quarter edition of The HOPE Insider, its quarterly national survey measuring financial sentiment, economic outlook and personal financial wellbeing among more than 1,500 Operation HOPE clients nationwide. The survey found that while economic optimism remains low and many Americans continue to struggle with rising costs and debt, financial literacy coaching and proactive financial planning are helping build resilience and improve their financial outlook.
Key First Quarter 2026 Findings:
1. Optimism in the U.S. economy is very low
- Only 23% of respondents said they feel optimistic about the U.S. economy in 2026
- More than half (52%) said they are concerned or uncertain about how economic conditions will affect their financial future over the next year
2. Clients still feel the cost-of-living crunch from last year
- More than half of respondents said that debt and the high cost of living were the top financial challenges they currently face
- Credit card debt remains the most burdensome form of debt for respondents followed by student loans, mortgages, and auto loans
3. Nearly half of respondents cannot afford an unexpected expense
- Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) reported living paycheck to paycheck
- 45% said they would not be able to cover an unexpected $400 expense without borrowing money, using a credit card, or going without paying the expense altogether
4. HOPE clients demonstrate increased financial resilience versus the average American
- The percentage of respondents living paycheck to paycheck declined seven percentage points quarter-over-quarter, from 80% in Q4 2025 to 73% in Q1 2026
- 74% of respondents said they feel proactive and informed in addressing financial decisions, even amid economic uncertainty
5. More respondents are doing better financially than last quarter
- 38% of respondents said they are financially better off than they were a year ago, up from 27% last quarter
- The percentage reporting increased personal debt over the previous three months declined from 55% to 45%
- Overall hopefulness about financial wellbeing over the next year increased five points to 81%
Operation HOPE Client Impact:
These findings reinforce both the financial strain many Americans continue to experience and the critical importance of financial literacy and coaching support. The HOPE Insider findings align with Operation HOPE’s Q1 2026 Impact Data, which show measurable improvements for participants in the organization’s programs:
- Average credit score increase of 39 points (among those with improvements)
- Median debt reduction of $1,929
- Median savings increase of $1,000
About The HOPE Insider
The HOPE Insider is a quarterly survey conducted by Operation HOPE’s research team since November 2023. The first quarter 2026 survey gathered insights from more than 1,500 adults, small business owners and entrepreneurs who have used Operation HOPE’s financial wellness services. The survey explores key topics including housing, debt, employment, small business ownership, and economic optimism. Designed to capture the real-time financial sentiment of everyday Americans, The HOPE Insider serves both as a barometer of economic wellbeing and a guide for programs that meet clients where they are.
About Operation HOPE, Inc.
Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to “silver rights” with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $4.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260522849949/en/
Media gallery
