Share:

Search all research:

Polls

NEFE commissions national surveys to better understand the financial realities of consumers. Discover results from a variety of our financial education, personal finance, and financial literacy polls below.


Native Community Members’ Opinions of the Financial Services Sector

NEFE polled members of Native communities on their own financial well-being and the experiences they have had with the financial services sector.

Student Loans and Financial Stress in the United States

NEFE conducted in-depth consumer polling on how restarting student loan payments following the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the general U.S. population, as well as those currently responsible for student loan debt.

Levels of Trust in Financial Institutions: A Comparison Based on Public Awareness

NEFE researched whether awareness of the various bank collapses and failures worldwide in March 2023 impacted consumer trust of the sector in the areas of confidence, faith, ethics and professionalism.

Levels of Trust in Financial Institutions: A Comparison

This opinion poll captured exclusive, moment-in-time data on consumer trust in financial institutions and how those sentiments changed following a major, well-publicized crises in the industry (in this case, the Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse bank collapses).

Feelings of Financial Well-Being Moving into the New Year

NEFE explores the intersection between external markers of financial well-being and personal opinions of financial well-being.

Financial Decision Making Confidence and Resources of U.S. adults

We followed up our recent opinion poll of U.S. adults on types of personal finance decisions made by exploring the reasons behind the confidence levels of those decisions.

Financial Decisions and Levels of Confidence

NEFE polled U.S. adults on which personal financial decisions they feel the most and the least confident in making.

New Public Opinion Poll Explores Opportunity; Participation in Financial Education by U.S. Adults

Results from NEFE’s latest poll of U.S. adults substantiates how individuals with financial education opportunities choose to take it in overwhelming numbers.

Discriminatory Practices by the Financial Services Sector

NEFE has collected new data among U.S. adults on experiences of bias, discrimination and exclusion by institutions and individuals in the financial services industry, specifically as it relates to their identity or personal circumstances (gender, age, race, etc.).

Financial Education Mandates 2022

NEFE’s recent survey identifies how U.S. adults feel about existing financial education requirements and opportunities.

Personal Finances 2021

NEFE polled U.S. adults on several topics related to their financial quality of life at the end of 2021.

Financial Infidelity 2021

NEFE’s recent poll asked U.S. adults who report having ever combined finances in a relationship about incidents of financial deceptions in current/past relationships, as well as explanations for–and impacts of–those deceptions.

Financial Well-being 2021

NEFE continues to monitor the pulse of Americans by polling on financial well-being indicators at key moments in time since the COVID-19 crisis began. NEFE’s recent survey, commissioned at the end of June 2021, is the latest in a series spanning a 16-month period that overlaps the pandemic in the U.S.

New Year 2021 Survey

A new survey released by NEFE finds nearly seven in 10 U.S. adults admit to experiencing unexpected financial setbacks in 2020. About half of U.S. adults feel the current quality of their financial life is about what they expected it to be, yet nearly one third (32 percent) say the current quality of their financial life is worse than they expected.

Survey Update to COVID Related Financial Stress

An updated survey shows that many Americans have experienced little to no relief on their financial stress since the initial outbreak of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Concerns Survey

According to a new survey released by the NEFE, nearly nine in 10 (88 percent) Americans say the COVID-19 crisis is causing stress on their personal finances.

New Year Resolutions Survey 2020

NEFE's annual survey on consumer expectations, finds that three quarters of U.S. adults will make financial New Year’s resolutions for 2020 and that they may have anxiety over their ability to save money.

Tax Filing 2019

Results of a new survey from the National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) on tax filing in 2019, find that among the 74 percent of U.S. adults who have filed taxes, two in five (42 percent) are happy with the outcome, while an additional 25 percent are neither happy nor unhappy.

New Year Resolutions 2019

NEFE's annual survey on consumer expectations, finds that almost eight out of 10 (79 percent) of U.S. adults will set a financial New Year’s resolution for 2019. A 10 percent increase over last year’s survey.

College Saving 2018

Managing rising education costs remains a challenge for families. A recent survey conducted by Harris Poll finds three quarters of American parents are regularly saving for their child’s education, yet two thirds will rely on grants/scholarships to pay for education costs, and about one third (34 percent) say they will rely on loans.

Financial Infidelity Reissue 2018 Survey

The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) has been following financial infidelity for a decade, and the problem continues to be prevalent among couples.

New Year Resolutions 2018

The latest issue of an annual survey on consumer expectations from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) finds over two thirds of U.S. adults will set a financial New Year’s resolution for 2018, a consistent indication that many Americans continue to focus on their financial health as much as their physical health.

Parents Supporting Adult Children 2017

This consumer survey, reissued from a previous release in 2011, looks at ways in which parents are providing financial support to their adult children. The online survey was conducted by Harris Poll® in December 2017.

Financial Education Impact 2017 Survey

According to a new survey from NEFE in partnership with Right About Money, 74 percent of Americans believe financial instruction in K-12 schools gets the best results in building financial well-being.

New Year Resolutions 2017

More than two thirds of adults will make a financial New Year’s resolution for 2017, a sign that Americans remain focused on their financial health as much as their physical health.

Election Outcome Affect on Personal Finance 2016 Survey

A post-election poll of more than 1,000 U.S. adults finds just 27 percent feel their individual/family personal finance situation will be better off under President-Elect Donald Trump.

Financial Health of Millennial-Age Parents 2016 Survey

Parents Magazine and National Endowment of Financial Education join forces to investigate the financial health of millennial-age parents and find they are suffering severe financial strain.

Financial Infidelity Confessions 2016 Survey

According to a new survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), two in five Americans who have combined their finances in a current/past relationship admit to committing financial infidelity against their partner.

Technology Use to Achieve Goals 2015 Survey

Five in 10 U.S. adults say the use of technology has helped them achieve a goal. Some educators believe recent technological advances—including the gamification of curriculum—is a silver bullet to learning, yet according to this NEFE survey, just 27 percent say technology is a tool that has helped to better manage finances.

Relationships and Spending 2015 Survey

A survey in partnership with the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) and the love and relationship website YourTango.com shows seven in 10 Americans say they spend more money while in a relationship versus when they are single.

American Dream 2014

A new survey by NEFE finds that half of Americans say having enough money for retirement is their top financial goal and perceived importance of homeownership appears to be waning.

Jump$tart Financial Literacy Month 2014

A recent survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of NEFE and Jump$tart, finds that more than three in five families with kids under the age of 18 (62 percent) had talked about money matters within the past week.

Holiday Spending 2013

Consumers are feeling more confident about their ability to manage holiday expenses this year, but everyone can benefit from a spending reality check. This survey finds that 39 percent of Americans are much/somewhat more concerned about being able to afford holiday expenses this year compared to their level of confidence five years ago.

College Debt 2013

With the new school year fast approaching, many college students are looking for ways to help pay for their education. This study finds that 86 percent of college debt comes from loans and some are taking on the burden of debt and not achieving a degree.

Filing Taxes 2013

Filing taxes is a stressful time for many. This study reveals that 58 percent say something causes them worry or concern when thinking about preparing their taxes this year. The survey also reveals how much Americans expect to receive from their refund and what they plan to do with it.

Checkbook Balancing 2012

Taking the time to balance a checkbook is a task not many keep up. In this survey, NEFE asks who regularly monitors and manages the flow of money from their primary checking account.

Cognitive Decline 2012

As parents age it becomes critically important for families to have a plan in place for how finances will be managed. In this survey, NEFE finds that 86 percent trust family members to make financial decisions if they are unable to. Yet 69 percent say there are major barriers towards openly communicating with family members about possible cognitive decline issues.

Impulse Buying 2012

Buying an item on a whim sometimes can be a difficult urge to ignore. NEFE finds that in a typical month more than two-thirds of people make a purchase on impulse. The study reveals what triggers impulse buying, what percentage of people regret these purchases, and how much Americans spend on them.

Employee Benefits 2012

Continued high unemployment and an uncertain economic future have led many Americans who are working to stay put in their jobs—whether they are happy or not. One reason for employee dissatisfaction is that over the past five years, 40 percent of working adults have seen their benefits package reduced or eliminated entirely.

Marrying Your Money 2011

This survey finds that 86 percent of respondents say they will talk about money and their financial situations prior to their wedding. But do they know how to start the conversation with their partner?

Impulse Buying 2010

This online polling asked what triggers people to make impulse purchases, what they’re buying, and how much they’re spending.

Back to School Expenses 2010

This survey finds how much money parents with kids in grades K-12 plan to spend this fall on back-to-school expenses and what items will cost them the most.

Spring Event Spending 2010

NEFE wants to know just how much people will spend to attend weddings and what new high-school graduates plan to do with the money they get from their recent academic achievements.

Back to Top