Financial Health Score: Take the Free 2-Minute Check-Up
Answer eight questions about how you spend, save, borrow and plan. You get a score from 0 to 100, your strongest and weakest areas and the three steps that would improve your financial health the most.
Listen to this article
A credit score tells lenders how you handle debt. It says nothing about whether you have savings, spend less than you earn or are prepared for a setback. This financial health score looks at the whole picture in eight questions, built on the eight widely used indicators of financial health: spend, save, borrow and plan. It takes about two minutes, and your answers never leave your browser.
Financial health score
Answer eight questions about how you spend, save, borrow and plan. It takes about two minutes, and nothing you enter leaves your browser.
An educational self-check built on eight widely used indicators of financial health (spending, bills, short- and long-term savings, debt, credit, insurance and planning). Each answer scores 0 to 100 and your score is the average. It is not a credit score and is not stored or reported anywhere.
Key takeaways
- Each answer scores 0 to 100, and your score is the average of the eight indicators.
- 80 to 100: financially healthy. 40 to 79: coping. 0 to 39: vulnerable.
- The result names the three weakest areas and links to a tool or guide for each.
- This is an educational self-check. It is not a credit score and is not stored or reported anywhere.
The eight indicators
| Area | Indicator | What a high score means |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | Spending vs. income | You spend less than you earn |
| Spend | Paying bills on time | All bills are paid on time |
| Save | Emergency savings | Savings would cover several months of expenses |
| Save | Long-term savings | Retirement savings are on track for your age |
| Borrow | Manageable debt | Debt payments take a small share of income |
| Borrow | Credit score | A prime credit score of about 740 or more |
| Plan | Insurance coverage | Insurance would protect you from a major setback |
| Plan | Planning ahead | You have goals and a plan you follow |
The same eight indicators underlie the FinHealth Score of the nonprofit Financial Health Network, which also uses the 0–39, 40–79 and 80–100 tiers. This check-up uses its own questions and scoring, so the results are not the official FinHealth Score.
How the score is calculated
Every question has five answers worth 100, 75, 50, 25 and 0 points (for the credit score question, "I don't know" counts 20). The score is the simple average, rounded to a whole number. Example answers of 75, 100, 50, 50, 75, 75, 75 and 50 average 68.75, so the score is 69: financially coping, with emergency savings, long-term savings and planning as the areas to work on first.
Where possible, the answers use objective benchmarks:
- Emergency savings in months of expenses, the measure used in emergency fund guidance; see the emergency fund calculator.
- Long-term savings compared with Fidelity's milestones of 1× your salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50 and 8× by 60; see how much savings by age.
- Debt as a share of gross income, the debt-to-income ratio lenders use, with 36% and 43% as common thresholds.
- Credit score in the FICO ranges explained in what is a good credit score.
How Americans are doing
In the Federal Reserve's survey of household economics for 2025, 73% of adults said they were doing at least okay financially, and 63% said they would cover an unexpected $400 expense with cash or its equivalent. That means more than a third could not, which is why emergency savings is often the first area to work on.
How to raise your score
- Make a plan for every dollar with the budget calculator.
- Automate on-time payments for at least the minimum on every bill.
- Build a starter emergency fund of $500 to $1,000, then work toward three to six months.
- Pay down high-interest debt with the snowball or avalanche method.
- Check your credit reports for free and fix errors; see how to improve your credit score.
- Review insurance once a year and set written goals with the savings goal calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a credit score?
No. A credit score only measures how you manage credit. A financial health score also looks at spending, savings, insurance and planning.
Is my data saved?
No. The score is calculated in your browser and nothing is sent to us or stored. Download the PDF if you want to keep your result.
How often should I take the check-up?
Once or twice a year, or after a big change such as a new job, a move or a new child.
What is a good financial health score?
80 or more counts as financially healthy. A score in the 40s to 70s is common and means some areas need attention.
Why does "I don't know my credit score" lower my result?
Knowing your score is part of managing credit, and checking it is free and does not affect it; see how to check your credit score for free.