Goldman survey finds 36.6% of $500,000 earners feel squeezed

Goldman Sachs Asset Management reported that 36.6% of surveyed households with incomes above $500,000 described themselves as covering bills from one paycheck to the next and making little headway on long-term goals, a share exceeded only by households earning under $50,000, at 60.8%, Fortune reported on October 13.

The finding comes from the firm's Retirement Survey and Insights Report 2026, based on 5,106 responses, including 3,612 workers and 1,494 retirees aged 45 to 75. Respondents were sorted into six income bands and asked to pick one of three descriptions of their finances. The strain fell to 22.2% for the $100,000-to-$200,000 band before rising again at the top. Households earning $200,000 to $300,000 were likeliest to say they were advancing on both short- and long-term goals, at 42.2%.

Among those earning more than $500,000, 46% said they usually pay no more than the minimum on credit card balances, 80% said they had postponed a major financial goal, and 45% said they had deferred retirement saving. The share of working respondents increasing retirement contributions dropped to 39% from 55% a year earlier.

Goldman attributed the pressure to housing, health care, education and caregiving costs rising faster than wages. Consumer prices have risen about 22% over five years, per Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

This story was first reported by Fortune.