Financial FOMO is quietly straining relationships

Although 83% of Americans say they're comfortable in talking about money with at least one person, most of them are silent when it comes to admitting financial struggles to others who are close to them, including family, friends and coworkers. This is according to CFP Board’s latest research, Financial FOMO: A Survey About Money and Relationships.

The report said that Americans are experiencing financial FOMO, with 82% saying that the financial situations of close friends or family have affected how they think about their own finances. The majority (85%) also feels out of sync with some aspects of their friends’ finances, including housing purchases (28%), travel (28%), career progress (26%) and retirement savings (29%).  As traditional life milestones increasingly unfold at different speeds, financial disparities are creating new sources of tension within social circles, the survey pointed out.

Younger Americans (ages 25-40) are more likely than older peers to feel out of sync with friends on housing (35% vs. 23%) and career progress (31% vs. 22%), and they're nearly twice as likely to experience financial conflict with their friends as a result (28% vs. 16%). Meanwhile, single Americans are more likely than married people to conceal cost concerns when declining events (63% vs. 55%), according to the survey.

Defining financial FOMO

So, what exactly is financial FOMO? It is the fear of missing important moments with family and friends due to money constraints, explained Kevin Roth, managing director of research at the CFP Board.

“Americans might worry not just about the cost of the occasion, but the cost to the relationship of not being present, as well as if they can be open about their financial constraints,” he said.

Financial FOMO also includes feeling out of sync with your peers in a number of ways – especially for younger Americans, Roth added. “Four in 5 Americans told us that they avoid having important financial talks with people close to them because they fear that such conversations could damage their relationships. As a result, they keep their money concerns to themselves, ironically keeping them from having an open and honest relationship,” he said.

How financial FOMO can strain relationships

What are some of the ways in which financial FOMO can strain relationships?

“Financial FOMO can manifest itself as not joining friends and family for events and experiences because of financial concerns,” Roth said. “Interestingly, more than half of people who have declined an event over the past two years did not tell the host that money was the reason.”

More broadly, Roth added, this fear means not having honest conversations about debt, caregiving, estate planning, retirement and more. This means that critical decisions are not being because of potential conflict.

Roth said that the CFP Board survey showed that even when people talk about some of these issues, it often doesn’t result in change and sometimes makes things worse.

“If you disagree with someone like your spouse or your children about major life events, plans or goals, talking with a knowledgeable and neutral professional like a CFP professional can help guide you to make decisions that take everyone’s viewpoint into consideration, and lead to better outcomes than trying to navigate these challenges alone,” he said.

Ways to reduce financial FOMO

Advisors can take several steps to help lessen their clients’ financial FOMO and assist them in building a life in which financial security and meaningful connections strengthen relationships.

For example, Roth said CFP professionals lessen their clients’ financial FOMO by learning about their financial needs, desires and aspirations, and gaining a clear understanding of their circumstances. “Professionals gather this information without judgment and provide expert guidance in helping their clients achieve their financial and life goals,” he said.

People can feel more confident when talking with loved ones about their financial choices after thinking through their goals and developing a plan with their advisor.  “Clarity leads to confidence and possibly greater comfort discussing these issues,” Roth said.

Download and read the full Financial FOMO: A Survey About Money and Relationships report here.

From January 12 to 13, 2026, the CFP Board team sent a 14-question survey to randomly selected Americans aged 25 to 64 nationwide, as sourced by online survey provider Alchemer. The survey generated 1,138 responses.

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