Business
Holiday Stress Driving Americans to Spend More, Increase Borrowing, and Pick Up Extra Jobs, New MoneyLion Survey Finds
The holidays may be a time of joy, but for many Americans they also bring heightened financial pressure and stress. According to new research from MoneyLion, a leading digital ecosystem for consumer finance and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), one in four Americans feel pressured to spend beyond their means during the holidays, leaving them unable to cover basic expenses.
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[{"type":"text","content":"Most consumers plan to spend the same or more on holiday gifts compared to last year — even if it means taking on debt, gig work, or deferred payment methods","length":157,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"TEMPE, Ariz., Nov. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The holidays may be a time of joy, but for many Americans they also bring heightened financial pressure and stress. According to new research from MoneyLion, a leading digital ecosystem for consumer finance and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), one in four Americans feel pressured to spend beyond their means during the holidays, leaving them unable to cover basic expenses.","length":421,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"Holiday Stress Driving Americans to Spend More, Increase Borrowing, and Pick Up Extra Jobs, New MoneyLion Survey Finds","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"Holiday Stress Driving Americans to Spend More, Increase Borrowing, and Pick Up Extra Jobs, New MoneyLion Survey Finds","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":400,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/861d0aada2fc628a59838c14ba977e5f"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/LwUCeUBXY0.tzZLrYmivTA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTcwNTtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/861d0aada2fc628a59838c14ba977e5f","width":400,"height":400}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2812545/MoneyLion_Holiday_Image.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"Despite these pressures, 78% of Americans expect to spend the same or more on gifts this year compared to last year, with average holiday spending now exceeding $2,000. To manage this increased spending pressure, one in four Americans plan to take on extra work this season, with 23% committing to gig work like ride share driving and pet sitting.","length":347,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Many will also lean on credit to manage costs: 84% plan to use credit cards and 30% will turn to use Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services. However, the survey also revealed that nearly half (46%) are unaware that BNPL can affect their credit score, furthering impacting their financial well-being.","length":295,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""For many Americans, the financial hangover starts before the first gift is even wr...