Clarity is the new currency

2026 Personal Finance Experience Study

Clarity is the new currency

How American workers navigate complexity and what it signals for the future of financial experiences

Working Americans are more financially active than ever — managing more accounts, using more tools, and setting more goals. Yet their confidence remains elusive.

The issue isn’t access. It’s interpretation.

Empower’s 2026 Personal Finance Experience Study reveals a defining shift:  

Financial confidence doesn’t come from more information —  it comes from three conditions working together:

A complete view of finances
Clear interpretation
Guidance on what to do next

Without all three, engagement can become episodic instead of sustained,  and progress stalls.

Key insights

Financial lives are expanding — so is the opportunity to simplify

Complexity may be inevitable. Confusion is not. Reducing fragmentation helps ease stress.

50% Say consolidating financial information in one place would reduce stress

Built-in reinforcement supports progress

Goals alone don’t sustain engagement. Feedback does.

39% Don’t check their progress regularly

Context helps build confidence in digital advice

Digital adoption is rising, but confidence grows with connection.

50% Of Gen Zers have used AI-based financial tools

35% Say it led them to make decisions they later questioned

Trust can shape whether insight becomes action

Trust isn’t a feature. It’s infrastructure. Adoption follows when visibility, choice,  and control are explicit.

54% Say personalized guidance would increase confidence

Clarity is linked to stronger engagement

Behavior shifts when people can see everything, understand what it means,  and know what to do next.

60% Are more engaged when tools clarify what needs attention

The next evolution of the financial experience

Expectations are shifting from more information to better interpretation.

51% Are more likely to engage when insights are personalized to their goals

2026 Personal Finance Experience Study. Clarity is the new currency. View the full study.

Methodology

The Empower 2026 Personal Finance Experience study is based on online survey responses from 1,018 working Americans age 18+ collected December 17-19, 2025. The results have been weighted to be nationally representative of all working U.S. adults.

Clarity is the new currency
 
See why working Americans are more financially active than ever, yet their confidence remains elusive.

View the full study »

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