WASHINGTON, D.C. — Just 16% of U.S. adults and 12% Canadian adults are financially fulfilled, according to analysis of the inaugural Edward Jones and Gallup Money and Meaning: Understanding Financial Fulfillment study. Financial fulfillment is a state where people’s personal finances support the life they want to have.
In contrast, 32% of U.S. adults and 41% of Canadian adults experience consistent financial stress, characterized by straining to meet obligations, needing to make trade-offs between financial and life goals, and feeling they lack control over their financial situation. The largest share in each country, described as “financially conflicted,” experience some progress but still contend with ongoing financial strain.
These findings are based on web interviews conducted March 20-April 6, 2026, with 5,075 U.S. adults aged 21 and older who are members of the probability-based Gallup Panel and March 25-April 3 with 2,117 Canadian adults aged 21 and older from a nonprobability online panel. Both samples were weighted to represent the adult population in each country on key demographic characteristics.
The financial fulfillment measure is derived from a statistical analysis of 37 items that measure financial wellbeing, the emotional aspects of financial life, and how closely financial decisions align with people’s values.
- “Financially fulfilled” people have a broad sense of security and resilience through life’s ups and downs, along with confidence that their financial decisions today will support their goals and values both now and in the future. People who give positive responses to 30 or more items are considered financially fulfilled.
- “Financially stressed” people have frequent anxiety about money, often needing to make difficult trade-offs. They lack confidence in how to manage their finances and are unable to align their financial decisions with their values. Respondents who are financially stressed give a positive response to 10 or fewer of the 37 items.
- The remainder, who experience a combination of fulfilled and stressful financial experiences, are considered “financially conflicted.” They have mixed emotions about their finances, some confidence in their ability to manage their finances, and occasionally need to make sacrifices on other life priorities when deciding how to use their money.
When Americans are asked to describe in their own words what financial fulfillment means to them, they are most likely to mention freedom to pursue passions, making a better life for themselves and their families, and security or protection from unforeseen events. Canadians tend to emphasize relief from financial stress and worry. Additionally, when asked what they do with their money that brings them joy, both Americans and Canadians overwhelmingly point to experiences, relationships and meaningful activities rather than obtaining specific possessions or achieving certain financial milestones.
The study finds that financial fulfillment is related to positive life outcomes, including higher life satisfaction, better self-reported mental and physical health, and stronger interpersonal and community connections. These relationships are apparent even after taking into account a person’s annual income, wealth, age and other demographic factors.
More Higher-Income, Older Adults Are Financially Fulfilled
Financial fulfillment is, as expected, correlated with one’s income: Those with higher annual household incomes are more likely than those with less income to be financially fulfilled. Age is also a factor, perhaps related to having greater financial resources, as older Americans have had a longer time horizon to increase earnings, savings and wealth.
Financial fulfillment is not determined solely by income, wealth and life stage. Many people with lower incomes, less wealth, and who are younger have achieved that state. For example, about one in 10 Americans making between $35,000 and $84,999 and Canadians making between $40,000 and $79,999 — ranges that can be considered lower-middle income up to roughly the median household income in both countries — are financially fulfilled. Still, people with incomes above the median are about twice as likely to be financially fulfilled.
People’s recent financial experiences also influence whether they are financially fulfilled or stressed:
- Financially fulfilled adults are much more likely to report a recent increase in wealth or net worth than a decrease (38% versus 4%, respectively, in the U.S.; 38% versus 3% in Canada).
- In contrast, just 7% of financially stressed adults in the U.S. and 8% in Canada report an increase in wealth or net worth, compared with 44% and 52%, respectively, reporting a decrease.
- Financially stressed people (53% in the U.S. and 45% in Canada) are more than twice as likely as financially fulfilled adults (21% in the U.S. and 8% in Canada) to say they had a large and unexpected expense in the past year.
Priorities Differ Based on Fulfillment Status
The financial goals of financially fulfilled and stressed people differ, with stressed people prioritizing more immediate concerns. The top priorities for financially stressed Americans and Canadians are increasing their household income, reducing debt and having money to buy things — half or more in each country rate these as a very high or high priority.
In contrast, fewer than one in five financially fulfilled Americans and Canadians say increasing income (17% and 13%, respectively) and reducing debt (18% and 13%, respectively) are high priorities.
Instead, the top priorities for fulfilled people in both countries are having income for a healthy lifestyle and having disposable income for experiences.
Financially conflicted people share some of the priorities with fulfilled people (having income for a healthy lifestyle) as well as with stressed people (reducing debt, having money to buy things).
Though not a high priority for either group in the U.S., many more financially fulfilled Americans (27%) than financially stressed Americans (12%) say donating money to charity or faith-based organizations is a high priority for them. There is not a clear relationship between financial fulfillment and prioritizing charitable donations in Canada.
Trusted Financial Advice Can Aid Fulfillment
Financial fulfillment can be promoted when people have someone outside of their immediate family they can turn to for guidance and support. Less than half of all American (48%) and Canadian adults (43%) say they have someone they could rely on for financial support. However, that access differs meaningfully across fulfillment levels, with fulfilled people in both countries more likely than their stressed counterparts to have such access.
When seeking guidance, Americans (73%) and Canadians (59%) are most likely to say that in the past 12 months, they have relied on their own financial research on the internet. Professional guidance from a financial adviser is much less common in both countries, used by 32% in the U.S. and 43% in Canada. However, financially fulfilled adults are far more likely to have engaged a professional financial adviser (60% in the U.S. and 74% in Canada) than financially stressed adults are (14% and 26%, respectively).
Bottom Line
For financially stressed adults, the most pressing priorities are foundational, including reducing debt, increasing income, and building the stability needed to move forward. Financially fulfilled adults are more likely to prioritize stewardship and purpose, including managing money responsibly and making a difference with their money. This different focus does not mean financial fundamentals no longer matter to the fulfilled; rather, these are more firmly in place.
Financial fulfillment is a state that relatively few adults in both countries have achieved. It is more common among those who have greater financial resources and have had longer time horizons to build wealth. Still, many people in both countries who currently do not have substantial financial resources are financially fulfilled. Furthermore, people’s financial status is likely not fixed, and life events and life stages can change in ways that help them achieve financial fulfillment.
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