Consumer Pulse Wave 13

We’ve just released the latest TransUnion US Consumer Pulse Study — a quarterly survey exploring how consumers’ personal finances have changed and what changes they expect in the future. Here are the key takeaways:  

• Overall, 51% of Americans are financially impacted by COVID-19, the lowest level since the study started in March. Within this context, Americans are feeling optimistic, with 77% feeling positive or neutral about the future. Interestingly, Gen Z (64%) and Millennials (62%) are the most optimistic of the generations despite continued higher levels of impact (56% and 69%, respectively).
• For the first time, we asked consumers whether their household finances are tracking as planned this year. Among all Americans, one-third say their 2020 household finances are better than planned, a third are as planned and a third are worse, with stark variation among demographics.
• A quarter of all consumers have received a financial accommodation. Those who say their household finances are better than expected are twice as likely to have used an accommodation as those who say their finances are worse, indicating accommodations have provided needed benefit to many.