What financial resolutions should you be making for 2026?

At the end of the year, music lovers get their “Spotify Unwrapped” reports, summarizing all the tunes they listened to in 2025.

What if you analyzed your money goals in the same way? 

In other words, as we begin 2026 it is a great time to review the financial milestones you were striving for this year – and to use those results to chart a better path this year.

As it happens, we know exactly what money goals people were aiming for in 2025, thanks to a survey from financial information site Bankrate. The top one, by a significant margin: Paying down debt, identified by 21% of people. Other top responses included saving more money for emergencies, and getting a higher-paying job.

Of course life requires us to juggle many different financial aims at once. The real challenge is finding the right balance, so you can make progress on multiple goals in 2026.

“The number one task is to identify your top priorities,” says Mark Hamrick, Bankrate’s senior economic analyst. “It’s not unlike putting together a puzzle. Once you get an idea of what your puzzle pieces are and how they fit together, that’s part of the process of doing the work and attaining your financial goals over a lifetime.”

So looking back, how did we fare in 2025? A roundup of people’s top money goals:

-Paying down debt. It’s not surprising that this was number one on our collective wishlist, considering Americans are struggling with it so mightily. 

Look at the latest numbers from the New York Fed: Total household debt stood at a record $18.59 trillion in this year’s third quarter, comprising everything from mortgages to credit cards to auto loans to student debt. Anything households can do to reduce that burden – and the interest being paid on it – is a sound strategy for the future.

-Saving for emergencies. If your budget has little margin for error, and you are hit with sudden expenses, “that’s when things start to get dicey,” says Hamrick. It forces you into a debt spiral that could potentially end in bankruptcy.

That’s why a pot of emergency savings is so critical – between three and six months’ worth of expenses, suggests Hamrick, to help you get through any rough patches like layoffs or medical crises. “More is always better.”

Rather than having that cash sit and earn nothing, make sure to give it a boost in a higher-yielding account. With Current, members can earn up to a 4.00% annual boost on money in their Savings Pods.*

-Getting a higher-paying job or additional source of income. Affordability is the watchword of the day, since consumer costs have been rising for years – spiking during the pandemic, and still proving stickily high, thanks to factors like tariffs. (Inflation is currently around 3%.)

No wonder that generating more income – either in one’s current job, or from an additional side hustle – was this year’s third-most-popular money goal, cited by 11% of people. 

-Budgeting better. One useful personal finance tool is the year-end summary you get from your banks and credit-card companies. You can see in black-and-white exactly how much you have been spending, and on what. You might be unpleasantly surprised.

So start by trimming frivolous spending, and whatever is necessary, at least put it to work in your favor. With a Current’s Build Card for example, your everyday spending and transactions can help you build your credit as you make your on-time monthly payments.** Current then reports your on-time payments to the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Members have an average credit score increase of 81 points after six months of using the Build Card.***

-Saving more money for retirement. On any survey of financial regrets, says Bankrate’s Hamrick, one of the perennial champions is not saving enough for retirement. According to data from money manager Vanguard, the nation’s median 401(k) balance is $38,176 – which won’t go a long way in one’s golden years.

That’s why 8% of people said that retirement saving was this year’s top money goal. No matter where you are on your career runway, the best advice is always to save as much as you can, as soon as you can, so that those investments have enough time to compound.

-Saving for a non-essential purchase. This was cited by 6% of respondents, and typically, these larger expenses don’t come out of the blue. “Review your short- and long-term goals,” suggests Laura Scholz, a financial planner with Educo Advisor Group in Washington, Pa. “Are there any large purchases, cash needs, or life changes coming up next year?”

For instance, perhaps you are saving up for a family trip, or are looking to upgrade an older car, or are considering a much-needed home renovation. Putting aside cash in advance for those goals is a better idea than putting it on plastic, or financing a car, or taking out a HELOC, all of which will soak you with significant interest.

-Buying a new home. This aspect of the American Dream was identified by 4% of people as this year’s money priority. “I work with many dual-income professionals in their 30s and 40s, and the top money goal I'm hearing is buying a home,” says Theresa Pablos, a financial planner with Equalis Financial in Los Angeles. 

Even if it seems like a far-off goal, and no matter what happens with housing prices or interest rates, you can’t go wrong by preparing early. Says Pablos: “By saving more now, you will be able to put more money down later.”




*Boost Bonuses are credited to your Savings Pods within 48 hours of enabling the Boost feature and on a daily basis thereafter, provided that the Savings Pod has accrued a Boost Bonus of at least $0.01. No minimum balance required. The Boost rate on Savings Pods is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed rate is effective as of August 1, 2023. Must have $0.01 in Savings Pods to earn a Boost rate of either 0.25% or 4.00% annually on the portion of balances up to $2000 per Savings Pod, up to $6000 total. The remaining balance earns 0.00%. To earn a Boost rate of 4.00%, you must receive at least one Eligible Payroll Deposit equalling a minimum of $200 over a 35-day period. For more information, please refer to Current Boost Terms and Conditions.

**Individual results may vary. Using your credit card responsibly may allow you to improve your credit score. Credit building depends on various factors, including your payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, and other financial activities.

***Based on Build Card users, as of December 2024, who opted in to Credit Score Insights and have remained active for at least six months. Scores are calculated based on the TransUnion® VantageScore® 3.0 model, which is one of many credit scoring models and may not be the same model your lender uses. Credit scores depend on various factors, including your payment history, delinquencies, credit utilization, length of credit history, types of credit, total number of accounts, inquiries, and other financial activities. Individual results may vary, and a credit score increase is not guaranteed.