Senior Advisor and Research Fellow, Consumer Finance Institute
August 2024
This report is part of a quarterly series on key observations from the Labor, Income, Finances, and Expectations (LIFE) Survey. Data from the survey provide insight into consumers’ recent financial lives and their future expectations.
The data presented in the July 2024 LIFE Survey Report show that consumers’ net sentiment is lower than previously reported, but their concerns about making ends meet have lessened somewhat. We note several key observations about consumers’ financial lives over the past 12 months, including:
The share of respondents reporting trouble paying their bills during the month of the survey increased over the prior quarter and the prior year.
Among those who can currently pay all of their bills, the share of those concerned about making ends meet decreased in the last three months but remained elevated relative to last year.
Net sentiment compared with last year decreased and is net negative for the first time in 2024.
Download expanded data tables featured in the July 2024 LIFE Survey Data Report.
