Operation HOPE’s Third Quarter 2025 Research Reveals Growing Financial Strain but Optimism Remains High Among Clients

Despite worsening economic pressures, majority of HOPE clients with financial literacy and coaching support remain hopeful

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Operation HOPE, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in an ever-changing economy, today released the results of The HOPE Insider for the third quarter of 2025. The quarterly nationwide survey tracks financial sentiment among Operation HOPE’s broad client base. The latest findings show respondents are facing growing financial stress – especially around day-to-day costs and housing – yet remain optimistic about improving their financial wellbeing in the year ahead, underscoring the impact of Operation HOPE’s financial coaching and education programs.

Key Third Quarter 2025 Findings:

1. More respondents than ever before say they are worse off financially

• 44% of respondents reported being worse off financially than a year ago – a 9-point increase since the start of 2025
• 79% said they are living paycheck-to-paycheck – the highest level in more than a year

2. Financial literacy fuels hope

• 74% of respondents – all of whom are Operation HOPE clients with access to credit and money management coaching as well as other financial literacy programs - feel somewhat or very hopeful that their financial wellbeing will improve in the next year

3. Stress over affording groceries has increased, with some turning to “buy now, pay later” services

• 67% of respondents said food and groceries have become more difficult to afford in the past three months – up 8 points from the previous quarter
• “Cost of everyday goods” was cited as the most significant factor affecting their lives recently
• 2 in 5 said they have turned to “buy now, pay later” services to manage expenses

4. Affordable housing remains out of reach for many

• 24% of respondents said housing costs are their top concern over the next three months – with 86% expressing worry about affordability in their communities
• 36% considered buying a home in the past year, but found it unaffordable

5. As cost of living increases, job satisfaction drops

• Job satisfaction among respondents fell from 53% in Q1 vs. 45% in Q3
• 80% said their income is not keeping up with the rising cost of living
• 57% reported increased personal debt in the last three months – a 9-point increase from the first quarter of the year

Operation HOPE Client Impact:

Despite these challenges, HOPE clients report growing confidence in their financial futures. The HOPE Insider findings align with Operation HOPE’s Q3 2025 Impact Data, which show measurable improvements for participants in the organization’s programs:

• Average credit score increase of 39 points (among those with improvements)
• Median debt reduction of $1,933
• Median savings increase of $1,000

About The Hope Insider

The HOPE Insider is a quarterly survey conducted by Operation HOPE’s research team since November 2023. The third quarter survery gathered insights from more than 1,200 adults, small business owners and entrepreneurs who have used Operation HOPE’s financial wellness services. The survey explores key topics including housing, debt, employment, small business ownership, and economic optimism. Designed to capture the real-time financial sentiment of everyday Americans, The HOPE Insider serves both as a barometer of economic wellbeing and a guide for programs that meet clients where they are.

About Operation HOPE, Inc.

Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to "silver rights" with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $3.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.