Financial Literacy Month Is Half Over. What Have We Learned?

It’s the middle of Financial Literacy Month, and I know most Americans will go through April without ever realizing that.

And yet, Debt.com and other financial counselors do reach many folks during these four weeks. But what I also look forward to is the research that experts conduct this time of year.

I learn a lot about what hardworking people think, feel, and endure when it comes to money. Here’s what I discovered during the first half of Financial Literacy Month 2026…

1. Young and hopeful

It’s long been known that debt can drain your mental health as well as your bank account. But a new poll from a mental health firm called HopeLab says it’s not all bleak: “Young people under financial stress are two times more likely to report poor mental health than their more financially comfortable peers, yet nine in 10 are able to name at least one meaningful source of hope in their lives.”

In interviews with more than 1,000 Americans between the ages of 13 and 24, HopeLab reports that young people are looking beyond their financial problems by relying on “people who love and believe in them, as well as their own creativity, problem-solving skills, and belief in their own inner strength.”

That made me smile. So did the next couple of items.

2. Older and positive

It’s difficult to gauge how the recent economic turmoil is affecting average Americans. You can’t just look at the numbers. So the Harris Poll asked about optimism.

Pollsters asked if they “had postponed anything, including travel, homebuying, higher education, marriage or retirement, for financial reasons over the past year.” The results were encouraging: “45% reported not putting off anything for financial reasons in the past year, a 6% increase over the same statistic from 2025.”

Of course, optimism is fragile, and higher prices could easily shatter that. But for now, I’m encouraged by the resiliency many Americans possess.

3. Needs and wants

This might not sound like good news, but it is: “One in three Americans (33%) are making financial trade-offs every single day, and another 31% are doing so weekly.”

Ideally, we’d all be able to buy whatever we want whenever we want. But real life means making tough choices, and KeyBank’s Financial Literacy Month annual poll shows more of us are getting better at that. The most common tactics:

• “switching to less expensive brands or services” – 59%, up from 49% in 2025
• “cutting subscriptions or memberships” – 51%, up from 41%
• “reducing discretionary spending” – 11%, up from 8%

Certainly, this isn’t fun stuff. But it’s important stuff that can lead to more fun stuff later.

4. Hide and seek

Now for some sobering news: “Three-quarters of Americans (76%) carry some form of debt, and 77% of those borrowers say it's held back or harmed their life.”

That conclusion from new research by Clever Real Estate also included this: “Nearly 9 in 10 debtors (87%) admit they have regrets about their debt, and over half (55%) worry about their long-term financial future because of their debt.”

Part of the problem is hidden debt. Another study, this one by tech firm doxo, shows “hidden costs associated with paying bills average $1,222 per household.” That includes $248 in late fees, $95 in overdraft fees, and $781 in extra fees because many of us don’t check our credit reports – which means our credit score is lower than it should be.

If there's any good news here, it’s that these are problems with proven solutions. It’s the reason Debt.com exists. We not only help you pay off your debts, our counselors give you a free debt analysis and find those hidden leaks in your monthly budget.

5. Trial and error

Let’s end with some more upbeat news. The National Financial Educators Council has just reported, “High school graduates overwhelmingly view financial education as equal to – or more important than – traditional academic subjects for real-world success.”

Specifically:

• 51% rated financial education as more important
• 37% rated it about equally important
• Only 11% rated other subjects as more important

Of course, those traditional subjects – about math, reading, science – are crucial, but it’s nice to see young people acknowledging that the way to survive the inevitable economic ups and downs is to be financially savvy. This tells me Financial Literacy Months might be much more celebrated by future generations.