Operation HOPE, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in an ever-changing economy, today released findings from its third quarter 2026 HOPE Insider survey, revealing that while Americans remain hopeful about their ability to build wealth, many believe the current economic system favors those who are already financially secure. The quarterly nationwide survey of more than 1,500 Operation HOPE clients also found signs of improving financial stability and record optimism about the future, underscoring the importance of financial education in helping individuals overcome barriers to economic opportunity.
Key Third Quarter 2026 Findings:
1. Capitalism still works, but needs some changes
- Only 15% of respondents believe capitalism is working as intended for hardworking Americans
- Approximately one-third say the system works but disproportionately benefits those who already have money, while another third believe it is broken and needs to be fixed
- 40% believe someone starting with very little can still build real wealth in today’s economy, while 41% say doing so is much harder than it used to be
- Another 15% believe wealth-building largely depends on having the right connections or luck
2. Fewer respondents are living paycheck to paycheck, and more report financial progress
- The percentage of respondents living paycheck to paycheck declined to 69%, down from 76% in the previous quarter
- 36% reported being better off financially than they were a year ago, up from 29% in the previous quarter
- However, half of respondents said their personal debt levels had increased over the past three months
3. Nearly half of respondents have recently used Buy Now, Pay Later services
- 46% reported using a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service, such as Affirm, Afterpay or Klarna, in the past three months, consistent with findings from a year ago
- The percentage considering using BNPL services in the next three months declined to 40%, down from 46% a year ago
- Among BNPL users, 51% reported reserving these services for larger purchases, such as replacing an appliance
- Concerns about the potential impact on credit scores declined from 47% to 40% year over year, although a significant share of respondents remain wary of the financial implications
4. Housing affordability remains a major concern, but optimism about homeownership is improving
- 86% of respondents expressed concern about housing prices in their communities, consistent with levels observed over the past year
- Despite these challenges, 45% are hopeful that housing prices will create greater opportunities for homeownership over the next 12 months, up from 38% during the same period last year
5. Optimism about personal financial futures reaches a record high
- Nearly nine in ten respondents (87%) are hopeful that their financial wellbeing will improve over the next year
- The percentage describing themselves as very hopeful jumped to 55%, up from 44% in the previous quarter
- This marks the first time since The HOPE Insider launched nearly three years ago that a majority of respondents have expressed this level of optimism about their financial future
Operation HOPE Client Impact:
The HOPE Insider findings align with Operation HOPE’s Q3 2026 Impact Data, which show measurable improvements for participants in the organization’s programs:
- Average credit score increase of 39 points (among those with improvements)
- Median debt reduction of $1,963
- Median savings increase of $1,000
About The Hope Insider
The HOPE Insider is a quarterly survey conducted by Operation HOPE’s research team since November 2023. The third quarter 2026 survey gathered insights from more than 1,500 adults, small business owners and entrepreneurs who have used Operation HOPE’s financial wellness services. The survey explores key topics including housing, debt, employment, small business ownership, and economic optimism. Designed to capture the real-time financial sentiment of everyday Americans, The HOPE Insider serves both as a barometer of economic wellbeing and a guide for programs that meet clients where they are.
For more information about the survey, please visit: https://operationhope.org/data-impact/the-hope-insider/
About Operation HOPE, Inc.
Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to “silver rights” with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $4.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
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