Pessimism About Future Household Finances Rises, Yet Majority of U.S. Consumers Remain Optimistic

CHICAGO, June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As tariffs and the potential for rising cost of goods have dominated the news cycle since early April, a new TransUnion (NYSE:TRU) Q2 2025 Consumer Pulse study found that 27% of U.S. consumers are now pessimistic about their household finances over the next 12 months. This marks a six-percentage point rise from Q4 2024 (21%) and a four-percentage point increase from a year ago (23%). It’s the highest level since TransUnion first began tracking this data point in Q1 2021.

Despite the rise in pessimism, 55% of consumers are optimistic about their household finances over the next 12 months – the same percentage as in Q2 2024. However, optimism has declined from 58% in Q4 2024. The youngest consumers surveyed – Gen Z and Millennials – remain most optimistic about future finances, at 67% and 64%, respectively. The findings are derived from a survey of 2,998 American adults between May 1-12, 2025.

“Since early April, there has been a marked increase in the level of uncertainty about future costs primarily due to the ongoing discussions about tariffs,” said Charlie Wise, senior vice president and head of global research and consulting at TransUnion. “While we’ve seen a rise in pessimism about future finances, it can’t be overstated that the same percentage of Americans are as optimistic about their future finances today as they were at this same time last year. We posit this is happening because of the continued strong employment picture and sustained wage gains. If you have a job and feel like you’re likely to get some form of pay increase over the next year, then you also will likely be able to manage through most possible scenarios for increases in the costs of goods and services.”

Comparing Optimism and Pessimism Levels in the Last Year by Generation; Tariff Impacts