What this test measures
This test does not calculate your net worth, and it never asks for an amount. Two people with the same savings can feel completely differently about money: one secure, one anxious. What it profiles is your financial wellbeing: how much control you feel over your money day to day, how well you could absorb a shock, whether you feel on track for the future, and how much freedom your money gives you to enjoy life.
Your answers are added up into one score from 0 to 40, and split into two clusters:
- Financial security: covering surprises, paying bills on time, having more than the basics, and feeling that your savings will last.
- Freedom of choice: having money spare after the bills, being able to enjoy life and give a gift without cutting back, and feeling that your finances do not call the shots.
How it is built
The test follows the structure of the ten-item Financial Well-Being Scale published by the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in 2015 and released for free public use: ten statements in the same order, four describing financial wellbeing and six describing money strain, each scored from 0 to 4, with the strain statements counted the other way round so that a higher total always means more wellbeing.
Two things differ, and we would rather say so. The original asks the first six statements as "how well does this describe you" and the last four as "how often", on two answer scales. Our engine uses one scale per test, so every statement is worded as a habit or a recurring feeling and answered from "never" to "always"; the 0 to 4 scoring stays the same. And the original converts the raw total into a 0 to 100 score with a table that depends on age and on how the questionnaire was taken. We do not ask your age and do not reproduce that conversion: our levels (under strain, stretched, steady, secure, very secure) are our own conventions on the raw total, placed at roughly even steps along the original's scale. The bureau itself publishes no official cut-offs.
The wording of every statement is our own.
What your result contains
Your free result shows your level with a short summary, and the two clusters as bars. The full report adds your exact score out of 40 and where it sits against the four levels, your score for financial security and for freedom of choice, what your level tends to look like and what is already working, practical next steps for your level (from a first buffer to a long-term plan), and a PDF to keep and compare later. The test is free; the full report is one payment, no subscription.
What it is and is not
It is a structured look at how your finances feel and work, useful as a starting point and as a baseline to compare against in a few months. It is not financial advice, not a credit check and not a calculation of what you own or earn. For decisions about debt, savings, pensions or investments, talk to a qualified, independent adviser; if money is tight right now, free non-profit money and debt advice services exist in most countries and are the best first call.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about the Financial Wellbeing Test.
How long does the Financial Wellbeing Test take?
About two minutes. There are ten statements, each with five answers from "never" to "always". You never type in an amount.
What does the Financial Wellbeing Test measure?
Financial wellbeing: your sense of security (control over everyday money, capacity to absorb a shock, confidence about the future) and your freedom of choice (room to enjoy life and make choices). It does not measure net worth in money. Your level and a short summary are free; your exact score, the two cluster scores and the full report are one payment, no subscription.
Is this the CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale?
No. It follows the structure of that public scale (ten statements in the same order and direction, scored 0 to 4), but the wording is our own, it uses one answer scale instead of two, and it does not convert your total to the bureau's 0 to 100 score. It is not the official questionnaire.
Is my data private?
Yes. Your answers are scored in your browser and you never enter an amount. We do not sell personal data, and you can ask for export or deletion at any time.
Can I retake the Financial Wellbeing Test?
Yes, as often as you like. Retaking it every few months, or after a change such as a new job or paying off a debt, shows whether things are moving in the right direction.