At the time of year when Americans like to make resolutions for the new one, 41% of participants in a survey said their goals for the coming year are bigger and more ambitious than they were last year, Edward Jones reported this week.
Increasing income, building up a savings account and paying off credit card debt top the list of resolutions for 2026, and many are turning to financial professionals to help them stay on track.
Edward Jones partnered with Morning Consult to conduct the nationwide online survey in late October among a sample of 3,019 U.S. adults.
Resolutions Unmet
As they make new resolutions, respondents looked back at those they made for 2025 and could not maintain. Forty-nine percent cited inflation as the biggest obstacle, and 52% said it remains so going into 2026.
Eighty-two percent said inflation is affecting their daily lives, especially grocery shopping and saving. Rising costs are changing everyday spending habits and prompting consumers to make tradeoffs on where their money goes in 2026 versus 2025:
- Spend less on restaurants — 44%
- Spend more on groceries — 34%
- Spend less on travel — 32%
Staying Accountable to Financial Goals
Traditional budgeting trumps artificial intelligence or keeping to resolutions, according to the survey. Eighty-one percent of Americans said budgeting will be the most helpful tool for setting and sticking to their 2026 goals.
Fifty-eight percent said family and friends will be most helpful, and 56% said online tools or apps will do the job. All these methods have one thing in common, Edward Jones noted: accountability that helps people stay on top of their goals.
By comparison, only 42% said AI tools are helpful, and 19% said the technology is not helpful at all.
The study said that while technology can be a complementary tool, real progress often comes from guidance that feels personal and relatable. That can come through a well-planned budget, encouragement from family or from the help of a financial advisor.
In fact, 22% of respondents said they are engaging with an advisor to kick-start their financial goals, ticking up to 26% for those who feel confident that they will adhere to their 2026 financial resolutions.
Some of these conversations have already begun, the survey found, with one-third of respondents planning to meet with their advisor about their 2026 goals before Jan. 1.
Another 44% said they plan to meet with their advisor between January and March to act on their financial resolutions and continue to build their confidence. Nearly a quarter said they expect to contribute more to investments in 2026 than they did this year.
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