Personal Finance

As President Donald Trump launches initiatives to reshape the nation in his second term, a recent Gallup poll provides a road map for the issues Americans think need the most attention.

Americans' expectations for economic growth, the stock market, inflation and interest rates are more optimistic than they have been in recent years.

Americans close out the year disapproving of Biden and Congress and feeling largely dissatisfied with the direction of the country.

Gallup's final 2024 measure of Americans' holiday gift outlays finds consumers' spending estimate up slightly from a year ago.

Americans are unhappy with the status quo in key areas of U.S. leadership, suggesting this should be a "change" election. Yet Kamala Harris edges out Donald Trump in favorability.

Americans predict they will spend an average of $1,014 on holiday gifts this year, well above the $923 they estimated at this time last year.

While a majority of Americans say their federal taxes are too high, these views vary significantly by partisanship and have varied widely over time.

Most key measures of the political environment for the 2024 election favor the Republican Party over the Democratic Party.

Gallup's Economic Confidence Index improved in August, but inflation and job market concerns persist.

Social Security is much more important to retired Americans than they thought it would be.

For the second straight year, a Gallup-Bentley University study shows Americans' desire for businesses to take stances on current events is falling, with 38% now agreeing that businesses should speak out.

Gallup's Economic Confidence Index is holding at -35 in July, with 13% naming inflation as the most important problem.

The percentage of U.S. adults classified as "cost secure" has slipped to 55%, a new low. The biggest drop is among those aged 50 and older.

June's Economic Confidence Index holds at -33, reflecting Americans' ongoing economic concerns.

Cost and program flexibility are leading reasons Americans without a degree or credential have left their postsecondary program, and about three-quarters of these learners have considered reenrolling in the past two years.

Six in 10 U.S. adults would prefer to be their own boss, and a slight majority would assume a fair amount of financial risk to start a business.

Worries that Medicare and Social Security will no longer be available in the future run high, especially among adults closer to the age of eligibility.

Gallup's Economic Confidence Index registered -34 in May, reflecting further deterioration in how Americans assess the economy's current state as well as its trajectory.

Americans downgraded their "social class" after the Great Recession, and that assessment still hasn't recovered.

Nearly seven in 10 Americans expect home prices to rise in their local area over the next year. Three-quarters think it is a bad time to buy a house.