Spending and Saving Better in the New Year: Americans will spend an average of $4,700 to achieve their New Year's Resolutions

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CIT Bank (FCNCA) released survey results showing 42% of Americans plan New Year's resolutions for 2026 and expect to spend an average of $4,700 to achieve them.

Financial goals are prominent: 55% of resolvers intend budgeting, saving, investing, paying debt, or building credit. Men plan to spend more than women ($5,360 vs. $4,000), with men 35–54 projecting >$6,000. Personal-life resolutions are costliest ($3,047 average), including travel $1,251, meals/entertainment $768, and hobby supplies $400.

The survey reports behavioral differences: men favor investing, credit-building, advisors, and high-yield accounts; women favor spending cuts, extra work, and goal-based savings accounts. 81% of savers have specific goals, led by travel (40%), car purchase (25%), and home purchase (21%).

RALEIGH, N.C., Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Self-improvement is a priority for many Americans as 2026 approaches — and they're willing to invest in it. 42% of Americans plan to set New Year's resolutions in 2026, and they expect to spend an average of $4,700 to achieve their goals, according to data from CIT Bank's 2026 New Year's Resolution Saving and Spending Survey conducted by Harris Poll¹. Money is top of mind for many Americans. Of those who plan to make resolutions, 55% are committed to financial resolutions such as budgeting, saving, investing, paying off debt, or building credit.

"A new year can bring a burst of energy and a fresh perspective. It's a great time to look at your goals and create a savings plan that aligns with what you hope to achieve," said Jose Castro, head of CIT Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. "Maximizing your savings with a high-yield savings account such as Platinum Savings, with rates more competitive than your everyday bank, can help you reach your savings goals faster. CIT Bank customers can also create savings buckets within their account, dividing their balance between goals like vacation, emergency fund, education and more."

Americans are spending on the life they want
Americans who are making New Year's resolutions in 2026 are showing real commitment to the life they want, expecting to spend an average of $4,700 on achieving their goals in 2026. Spending on these goals varies by gender, as men plan to spend a bit more than women ($5,360 compared to $4,000). Also, the highest-spending group surveyed was men ages 35-54, who expect to invest more than $6,000 in their resolutions over the year. Men with health-related resolutions plan to spend more than twice as much as women with the same resolution ($1,500 for men and $738 for women).

The costliest category of New Year's resolutions is personal-life resolutions. These include meaningful life experiences such as travel, hobbies, and spending more time with family and friends. Americans whose New Year's resolutions fall into this category are budgeting an average of $3,047 for their goals, including an average of $1,251 for travel, $768 for meals and entertainment, and $400 for hobby supplies and materials. Men are willing to spend almost twice as much on hobby supplies as women ($560 vs. $238).

Saving styles differ by gender
Most men and women (73% of those making resolutions) are prioritizing a financial goal in 2026. However, each gender is going about it a little differently. Men are more likely than women to lean into investing (55% of men vs. 37% of women), building or improving their credit score (49% of men vs. 35% of women), or contributing to plans such as 401(k), IRA, and HSAs (39% of men vs. 26% of women).

Men are also more likely to tap into other resources, like hiring a financial advisor (42% of men vs. 18% of women) or moving their savings to higher-yield accounts (43% of men vs. 19% of women). They are also more open to using technology, such as budgeting software (36% of men vs. 23% of women) and scheduling automatic deposits to savings or investments (39% of men vs. 27% of women).

"Automating your savings is one of the most effective, evidence-based methods to save money over time," Castro said. "We recently introduced the SmartSaver suite of tools, which offers customers three ways to automate their savings: recurring transfers, direct deposits, and a feature called Savings Boost that uses a personalized algorithm to sweep small amounts of money from your everyday checking account into your CIT Bank high-yield savings."

To help reach their financial goals, women are ready to reduce spending (65% of women vs. 55% of men), take on additional work to earn more money (46% of women vs. 42% of men) or create a goal-based savings account (50% of women vs. 44% of men).

Saving with a goal in mind
Whether or not they call it a New Year's resolution, most Americans (81%) are saving with one or more specific goals in mind for 2026. Travel or vacation is the most popular goal, with 40% of savers. Other top savings goals include purchasing a car (25%), buying a house (21%), investing in education (11%), starting or growing a family (10%), and planning a wedding or other big event (7%).

"Having a goal in mind makes it easier to visualize and emotionally connect with the act of saving money," Castro said. "CIT Bank customers can create savings buckets within their account, dividing their balance between goals like vacation, emergency fund, education, and more."

CIT Bank is an FDIC-insured, top-10 online bank backed by the strength and stability of First Citizens Bank. It's committed to growing and preserving members' savings safely and securely, whether that savings plan is for a new house in the New Year or a trip to Cabo.

For tips on how to achieve your financial goals and how to save money while achieving your resolutions in 2026, check out the latest CIT Bank blogs, How to save more money in 2026 and Top tips to achieve your New Year's resolutions.

About First Citizens Bank
First Citizens Bank helps personal, business, commercial and wealth clients build financial strength that lasts. Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., First Citizens has built a unique legacy of strength, stability and long-term thinking that has spanned generations. First Citizens offers an array of general banking services including a network of more than 500 branches nationwide and offices in 23 states; commercial banking expertise delivering best-in-class lending, leasing and other financial services coast to coast; innovation banking serving businesses at every stage; and a nationwide direct bank. Parent company First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA) is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets and a member of the Fortune 500™. Discover more at firstcitizens.com.

1 This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of CIT Bank from November 4-6, 2025 among 2,088 adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

Contact:
Angela English
803-931-1854
angela.english@firstcitizens.com

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SOURCE First Citizens Bank

FAQ

How much will Americans spend on New Year's resolutions in 2026 according to CIT Bank (FCNCA)?

Survey respondents expect to spend an average of $4,700 in 2026 to achieve their New Year's resolutions.

What share of Americans plan New Year's resolutions for 2026 per the CIT Bank (FCNCA) survey?

42% of Americans said they plan to set New Year's resolutions for 2026.

Which types of resolutions are most common and how many Americans plan them, per CIT Bank (FCNCA)?

Financial resolutions are most common: 55% of those making resolutions plan to budget, save, invest, pay debt, or build credit.

How do planned resolution expenditures differ by gender in the CIT Bank (FCNCA) survey?

Men expect to spend more than women ($5,360 vs. $4,000); men aged 35–54 expect to spend over $6,000.

What are the top savings goals for 2026 reported by CIT Bank (FCNCA)?

Top savings goals are travel/vacation (40%), purchasing a car (25%), and buying a house (21%).

What saving behaviors does the CIT Bank (FCNCA) survey highlight for 2026?

The survey shows men more likely to invest, use advisors, and move funds to high-yield accounts, while women more often cut spending, take extra work, or open goal-based savings accounts.