More than half of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. If you have these 3 things, you’re doing better than 50% of the US

The outlook on jobs appears gloomy, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that unemployment rates were higher in November 2025 than a year prior in 259 of the 387 largest metros in the country (2). Inflation is still rising, hitting 2.7% at the end of 2025, so it’s easy to see why Americans are so worried about their money (3).

But the threshold for the top 50% by certain financial parameters is surprisingly low. That means it doesn’t take much to put yourself in a better financial position than around half of the adult population.

In fact, if you can check off just one of the three boxes below, you’re already in the top half or close to it by some economic measures.

Here’s a closer look.

Not living paycheck to paycheck

As of 2025, a whopping 57% of American adults say they are living paycheck to paycheck, according to MarketWatch Guides (4). And it shouldn’t come as a surprise that younger Americans are more likely to live like this. A sizable 72% of Gen Z and 65% of millennials said they fit into this category.

"Living paycheck to paycheck means having little to no money remaining after paying for basic expenses such as rent and utilities," the MarketWatch report noted. "Someone living paycheck to paycheck would be at risk of not being able to pay bills or afford necessities if they missed a single payday. Living paycheck to paycheck can make it difficult to build an emergency fund, save for the future or splurge occasionally."

In other words, if you can manage to save even a little money at the end of every month — whether by cutting back on expenses or boosting income — you’ll be ahead of more than half of the country’s population.

And if you’re young and able to save money, you’re already doing much better than the majority of your peers.

To join this group — if you haven’t already — you may think you need to get a big promotion or even change careers. However, you can start to get a handle on your finances simply by creating a manageable budget and sticking to it.

Monarch Money puts all your finances under one roof, from your banking statements to your investments. You can also add separate or joint accounts to your dashboard, which can be great for tracking grocery runs for couples or helping your child get used to big-picture financial planning as parents. The app is also well reviewed. Forbes ranked Monarch Money as their best budgeting app for 2025, as did the Wall Street Journal.

And the best part? Monarch Money offers a seven-day free trial so you can see if it’s right for you. If you like what you see, you could then snag 50% off your first year with code WISE50.

One of the easiest ways to invest is to open a self-directed trade account with SoFi. This DIY approach allows you to invest with no commission fees, plus, for a limited time, you can get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account.

SoFi is designed to help you learn investing as you go, with real-time investing news, curated content and the data you need to make smart decisions about the stocks that matter most to you.

You don’t worry about finances daily

It’s perfectly natural to worry about money from time to time. Even billionaires probably worry about taxes or stock market crashes. But if you’re worrying about finances frequently, it could be a bright red flag.

Over half of the American population (52%) said they worry about their finances daily, according to a June 2025 survey by Ramsey Solutions (5). It also found that 34% of Americans are losing sleep over money.

That’s the harsh reality for many Americans. But if your finances are stable enough to allow you to forget about money issues occasionally, consider yourself lucky. You’re doing better — both financially and psychologically — than half the nation.

If you’re unsure how to get your finances on a more stable track, you might benefit from speaking with an advisor about your money concerns.

Advisor.com can connect you with a fiduciary advisor who can help you make a plan. Advisor.com vets every partner on their platform, making it easy to find a reputable match.

Just answer a few questions about your financial goals, and Advisor.com will source a selection of advisors that meet your specific needs. Set up a free, no-obligation consultation to find the right fit for you.

Saving at least some money for retirement

Given that most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and worrying about their finances daily, it shouldn’t be surprising that many are also struggling to secure their future financial needs.

According to a poll by Gallup, 59% of Americans have at least some money saved in a retirement account, either alone or with a spouse (6). But younger Americans are far less likely to have such savings — only 39% of adults age 18 to 29 said they have money invested for retirement.

If you have even a modest nest egg set aside, you’re probably doing better than 41% of Americans, and if you’re saving for retirement before the age of 29, you’re outperforming six out of ten peers.

Once you start investing, it’s important to ensure your portfolio is diversified to reduce risk. Gold has historically been a strong inflation hedge, and it has continued to set records in 2026, recently surpassing $5,100.

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