Consumer Sentiment Update: Consumers Budget Like Pros and Save Like Survivors

Consumers in the United States are still spending. But beneath the spending patterns, a fault line is widening in the way households experience debt, risk and financial security. The PYMNTS Consumer Expectations Index found that debt management has become a routine part of financial life across income groups, yet households’ confidence in handling that debt increasingly hinges on income, liquidity and access to financial cushions, not optimism alone.