Do You Know More
About Money Than the Average Person?
Ten rapid-fire questions spanning credit, taxes, insurance, banking, and debt. The average adult answers well under half of questions like these correctly — see if you clear it.
Quick answer
In the 2026 TIAA Institute–GFLEC Personal Finance Index, US adults answered just 47% of 28 general personal-finance questionscorrectly — the lowest result in the index's ten-year history. This quiz is built in that same spirit: ten broad questions spanning credit, taxes, insurance, and debt, the everyday concepts most people assume they know until they're actually tested.
The most commonly missed concept isn't obscure — it's marginal tax brackets. A large share of people believe a raise that pushes them into a higher bracket means their entire income gets taxed at that rate, when only the portion within the new bracket does.
Source: TIAA Institute–GFLEC P-Fin Index 2026. Last updated 24 August 2026.
The 10 questions
Answers reveal as you pick, with the reasoning — and a link to Lily if you want it explained differently.
1. Credit
What generally happens to your credit score if you close your oldest credit card?
2. Taxes
If a raise pushes you into a higher marginal tax bracket, what actually happens to your income?
3. Insurance
An insurance "deductible" is...
4. Banking
In the US, FDIC insurance typically protects deposits up to...
5. Inflation
Inflation is running at 3% and your savings account pays 1% interest. Your money's purchasing power is...
6. Borrowing
APR (annual percentage rate) generally refers to...
7. Budgeting
The "50/30/20" budgeting rule generally splits income into...
8. Debt
Which typically carries a higher interest rate?
9. Retirement accounts
A Roth IRA is generally funded with...
10. Net worth
Net worth is calculated as...
Answer all 10 to see if you beat the average — 0 of 10 done. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as beating the average on general finance trivia?+
There's no single official benchmark for this exact 10-question set, but it's built in the spirit of the TIAA Institute–GFLEC Personal Finance Index, where US adults answered just 47% of 28 general finance questions correctly in 2026 — the lowest result in the index's ten-year history. Scoring 6 or more out of 10 here puts you ahead of that average.
Why do so many people miss the marginal tax bracket question?+
Because it's genuinely counterintuitive — many people assume a raise that pushes them into a higher bracket means their whole income gets taxed at that rate, when in fact only the portion within the new bracket is. It's one of the most persistent misunderstandings in personal finance.
Does this quiz store or share my answers?+
No. Every answer and the score are computed in your browser and never sent anywhere. There's no sign-up and no email gate.
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Educational only, not financial advice. Richify holds no AFSL and is not a registered investment adviser.
