The WalletHub Economic Index rose 4.4 percent between September 2025 and September 2026, the personal-finance site said Oct. 2.
The index is a monthly online survey of how people feel about money, jobs and big purchases, not a measure of output or prices. WalletHub has collected more than 15,300 responses since December 2020. The September reading asks about current finances, the six-month outlook, stress, job security, hiring, plans to buy a home or car, large purchases, future debt and credit scores.
The year-over-year gain is not uniform. Optimism that finances will look better in six months is up 8.1 percent. Confidence in having a job in six months is up 3.5 percent. The share expecting less debt is up 4.1 percent, and the share expecting a better credit score is up 4.4 percent. Likelihood of a large purchase in the next six months is up 3.2 percent.
Other readings went the other way. Positive sentiment about current finances fell 0.3 percent from a year earlier and dropped 9.68 percent from August. Stress about money is 0.6 percent higher than a year ago. The share calling new jobs “abundant” is down 3.9 percent. Home-buying interest is down 0.9 percent. Car-buying plans are down 0.5 percent.
“The over 4% increase in consumer sentiment over the past year is an encouraging sign that our economy is recovering from the damage it suffered as a result of the pandemic and inflation. People who have high financial confidence are likely to spend more money and reduce their debts, both of which are good for the economy as a whole,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst.
The index is a mood gauge. A higher score means respondents feel better than they did a year ago, not that wages, prices or hiring have been independently verified. The split inside the number is the useful part: people are more sure about the next six months than they are about the month they just lived through.
