Northwestern Mutual prosperity index rises to 71 as strain persists

Northwestern Mutual's Personal Prosperity Index rose to 71 in the second half of 2026, up from 68 at mid-year, and 77% of adults surveyed said they felt prosperous, according to the company's latest reading. Thirty-four percent said they felt more prosperous than six months earlier.

Adults working with a financial adviser averaged 77 on the index, against 68 for those without one. Respondents with a more comprehensive relationship — adviser, financial plan, insurance and investments — scored 79, an 11-point premium. Private Wealth Daily previously reported that the same split held among households with less than $1 million in investable assets. The 79-point score bundles four inputs, so the score cannot isolate the source of the premium.

Thirty percent of respondents placed themselves at or below basic financial survival. Twenty-three percent said they have just enough money to cover necessities with nothing left over, and 7% said they cannot afford necessities. Sixty-one percent said the national economy had worsened.

The score gives advisers a benchmark to name in a client review and a reason to spend time on the plan and the insurance, not only the portfolio. Harris Poll ran the online survey of 2,000 U.S. adults for Northwestern Mutual between Aug. 25 and Sept. 3. The index is published twice a year. The next reading is due in the first half of 2027.