Resilient Consumers Remain Optimistic Despite Mounting Affordability Pressures

CHICAGO, June 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As 2026 approaches its midpoint, consumers remain financially optimistic despite persistent affordability challenges that have been heightened by recent geopolitical events. TransUnion’s (NYSE: TRU) Q2 2026 Consumer Pulse study found that 55% of consumers are optimistic about their household finances over the next 12 months, unchanged from last year. Financial pessimism declined to 23%, down from an all-time high of 27% in Q2 2025. The findings are based on a survey of 2,996 U.S. adults conducted between April 23 and May 11, 2026.

The youngest generations are leading the way in optimism with nearly seven in 10 (68%) Gen Z consumers and 63% of Millennials optimistic about their future finances. Baby Boomers remain the most pessimistic generation at 28%, though they also experienced the greatest YoY drop from 36% in Q2 2025.

“Affordability has become the defining issue shaping consumer finances today, yet consumers remain remarkably resilient,” said Charlie Wise, head of global research and consulting at TransUnion. “Against a backdrop of ongoing pressure from inflation and higher everyday expenses such as filling up their gas tanks or dining out, consumers remain optimistic about their future finances and are less pessimistic than a year ago. Steady, low unemployment is supporting that confidence, even as wage gains are partially offset by higher prices.”

Affordability Angst Hits Gen X the Hardest as Inflation Remains Top Concern
Even as a majority of consumers remain optimistic about future finances, inflation continues to be the dominant pressure on household finances. More than eight in 10 (83%) consumers ranked it among their top three household financial concerns, up two percentage points from a year ago. Recession fears ranked second at 51%, followed by interest rates and housing prices (rent or mortgage), which were both at 42%. While all generations cited inflation as a top concern, Gen X and Baby Boomers reported higher levels of concern than younger consumers.

Elevated inflation continues to shape consumer concerns. Across 13 spending categories, 80% of consumers ranked grocery prices as the top concern when it came to price increases, down slightly from 81% a year ago. Concern about gas price increases shows the greatest rise, up to 71% from 37% in Q1 2026 and 49% a year earlier.

Consumers also report declining affordability across key spending categories. When asked to rate spend categories by most to least affordable, they cited gas (54%), travel-related purchases (48%) and dining out (45%) as the least affordable. Gen X consumers feel this pressure most acutely. Over the past three months, Gen X chose unaffordable more than any generation for every single purchase type. Interestingly, younger generations – Gen Z and Millennials – generally reported higher levels of affordability for most spend categories relative to older generations – Gen X and Baby Boomers.

In light of their higher affordability concerns, it is not surprising that just 63% of Gen X said their household finances were as planned or better at this point in the year, compared to 74% for Gen Z and 71% of Millennials. “Several factors likely contribute to Gen X affordability angst, particularly the ‘sandwich generation’ dynamic of supporting children while caring for aging parents, which may put greater strain on their household budgets,” added Wise.

Appetite for New Credit Mostly Wanes
While nearly all consumers believe access to credit is important to achieve their financial goals, fewer (28%) plan to apply for new or refinance existing credit compared to Q2 2025 (33%). This decline spans all generations but is most pronounced with Gen Z and Millennials, whose plans for credit both dropped five percentage points from a year ago.

Despite this pullback, younger consumers still show the highest levels of intent. Gen Z and Millennials each report that 45% plan to apply for credit, significantly higher levels than Gen X and Baby Boomers. Meanwhile, among consumers who do plan to apply for credit, Gen X stands out with 65% saying they intend to apply for a new credit card, seven percentage points higher than the overall population.

Interest rate concerns continue to shape credit behavior. Among consumers who rank interest rates as a top three household financial concern, 31% plan to apply for or refinance credit in the next year, compared to 27% of all other consumers, which may indicate that consumers with interest rate concerns are looking for refinance opportunities if interest rates drop.

“While consumers report less interest in applying for or refinancing credit, our proprietary data shows demand remains healthy. At the same time, consumers often take on more credit during periods of economic pressure as a safeguard against potential shocks such as job loss. Encouragingly, many still report optimism about their financial outlook,” Wise concluded.

For more information about the Consumer Pulse study, please click here. Lenders interested in learning how affordability pressures are reshaping consumer payments and how to translate behavioral data into actionable strategies can read more at the following blog.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)

TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.

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