Confidence Rebounds: A Closer Look at CFP® Professionals’ Summer of Optimism

Americans are feeling more financially secure this summer, and CFP® professionals are taking notice. According to CFP Board’s CFP® Professionals Sentiment Indices (CPSI), both clients and advisors are reporting a marked improvement in financial outlooks. This shift in sentiment reflects growing stability in personal finances and cautious optimism about the broader economy.

Since Fall 2024, CFP Board has measured the financial and economic sentiment of CFP® professionals nationwide. The CPSI offers valuable insight into how financial planners and the people they serve are feeling about their financial futures. The Summer 2025 results point to rising confidence.

Clients and Advisors Are Breathing Easier

Compared to Spring 2025, CFP® professionals report that their clients’ financial outlook has improved substantially. Nearly half say their clients now hold a positive financial outlook, up from just 23% in the spring. At the same time, the share of CFP® professionals indicating their clients have a negative outlook dropped by more than half, from 36% to 16%.

In the spring, CFP® professionals reported that clients felt worse off than a year earlier. Now, they are about equally likely to report that their clients’ outlook is more positive, the same or negative relative to a year earlier.

That renewed optimism extends beyond clients’ pocketbooks. Two in 5 CFP® professionals say they feel more positive about their personal financial situation compared to a year ago, while only one in four feel more negative. In Winter 2025, these numbers were reversed, with 2 in 5 CFP® professionals describing their personal financial outlook as more negative than a year before.

Although sentiment has not yet returned to its highest levels, the CPSI reveals an unmistakable rebound in financial optimism from the lows seen in the spring.

Cautious Optimism for Economic Growth

CFP® professionals remain cautiously optimistic about the broader U.S. economy, with 37% expecting improved conditions over the next year. Though 33% believe things will stay the same and 30% expect a downturn. Since its launch, CPSI has shown that CFP® professionals tend to take a steady, measured view of economic developments.

No matter the forecast, CFP® professionals continue to help clients prioritize their personal goals, developing financial strategies that provide confidence today for a more secure tomorrow.

Trusted Insight

The CPSI measures more than the ups and downs of the markets; it reflects the unique perspective of CFP® professionals who are deeply connected to their clients. These trusted relationships give CFP® professionals a unique view into how Americans are navigating economic change and preparing for what comes next. CFP Board will release the Fall 2025 CPSI results in early November.