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Financial Literacy Hits 47% Low, Gen Z Worst at 38%

6/2/2026

Summary

TIAA Institute Finds

A TIAA Institute and Stanford study found adults answered only 47% of 28 financial-literacy questions in 2026, the lowest since 2017.
Low financial literacy rose to 25% in 2026, up from 20% a decade earlier.
Gen Z (ages 18-29) answered 38%, while baby boomers answered 54%.
Surya Kolluri of the TIAA Institute linked the decline to social-media misinformation and economic strain, urging financial-education in schools and programs for low-scoring groups.

Summary

**TIAA Institute Survey**

Nineteen percent of adults have used an AI tool for personal finance information.
Four percent of adults use AI for finance regularly and nine percent use it occasionally.
Twenty-nine percent of Gen Z and 24 percent of millennials have used AI for finance topics, compared with eight percent of baby boomers.
Surya Kolluri, head of the TIAA Institute, says employers can narrow financial-literacy gaps by offering life-stage-relevant education.

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TIAA Institute Finds

A TIAA Institute and Stanford study found adults answered only 47% of 28 financial-literacy questions in 2026, the lowest since 2017.
Low financial literacy rose to 25% in 2026, up from 20% a decade earlier.
Gen Z (ages 18-29) answered 38%, while baby boomers answered 54%.
Surya Kolluri of the TIAA Institute linked the decline to social-media misinformation and economic strain, urging financial-education in schools and programs for low-scoring groups.

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