Overview
- A Harris Poll reported that about one in four Americans expect to overshoot their holiday budgets.
- Landmark Credit Union’s 2025 Holiday Survey said more than one in four shoppers anticipate taking on debt and that 69% worry about fraud and identity theft.
- Guidance includes a year-end review of income, expenses, savings and debts, plus checks on retirement contributions and any use-it-or-lose-it FSA funds.
- Advisors recommend practical guards such as shopping with a written list, preselecting stores and price targets, using only set cash or debit limits, and skipping new store credit cards that can balloon costs.
- Households are urged to free up cash by canceling unused subscriptions, automate bill payments and savings, pay more than minimums on balances, and use simple budgets like 50/30/20 to start 2026 on stronger footing.