Should the Stars Be a Financial Guide? 32% of Americans Say They’ve Followed Their Horoscope for Money Advice (or Would Consider It)
Is your destiny written in the stars? Some think it is — and some would even go so far as to rely on their horoscope to make financial decisions. In fact, 32% of Americans say they have used or would consider using their horoscope as a financial guide, according to the latest LendingTree survey of more than 1,500 U.S. consumers.
Regardless of whether you check your astrological chart before you make your next financial move, keep reading to learn which signs are the most financially responsible — and which are the least.
On this page
- Key findings
- 32% of Americans would consider using their horoscope as a financial guide
- Water signs are the most financially responsible
- Aries are the least likely to have a budget
- Investing: Which signs play it safe, which make risky moves
- Water signs have the best credit scores
- Improving your financial well-being: An expert reading
- Methodology
Key findings
- Nearly 1 in 3 (32%) Americans say they would consider using their horoscope as a financial guide, with 11% having done so at least once. Among the latter group, this is most common among those who’ve used their horoscope to decide when to save money (39%), buy a lottery ticket (38%) or splurge on something they want (29%).
- Half of all respondents report a healthy balance of saving and spending (50%), but water signs (Cancerians, Scorpios and Pisceans) are the most fiscally responsible, with 30% leaning more toward saving. With resourcefulness as a signature trait, Scorpios lead, with 37% reporting their tendency to save. Aries (30%) are the most likely to splurge.
- Splurging might come easy to Aries because more than 1 in 10 (12%) don’t have a budget — the highest percentage among the signs. While 93% of consumers budget, only 20% always stick to their budget. Although thought to struggle with discipline, 26% of Scorpios say they always stick to their budget, which could be why they report saving at a higher rate.
- The tendency for Scorpios to save is also seen in their risk aversion with investments. 30% of Scorpios and Aquariuses report being conservative with their investments, even though they know it could mean missing out on big returns. Virgos are the group most likely to take big risks, at 13% (tied with Tauruses) — 44% above consumers on average.
- Financial health is often measured by your FICO Score, and water and earth signs (both 15%) and Scorpios (18%) lead among those reporting credit scores of 800 to 850. However, not all water and earth signs are doing well, as 10% and 11%, respectively, report a score of 300 to 579. With the highest rate without a budget, 29% of Aries don’t know their credit score (also the highest).
32% of Americans would consider using their horoscope as a financial guide
You’re not alone if you tend to check your horoscope before making a big decision. Nearly 1 in 3 (32%) Americans say they would consider relying on the stars to make financial decisions — and 11% have done so at least once.
Still, most people aren’t so keen on the practice. Overall, 68% say they don’t follow astrology or their zodiac signs. But that might be written in the stars, too, as some zodiac signs are more prone to follow their horoscope than others. Two in 5 (40%) Virgos say they follow their horoscope, making them the most likely to do so. Meanwhile, the intuitive Pisceans are the least likely, with just over a quarter (27%).
Of course, those who keep up with their horoscope are a lot more likely to rely on it for financial advice. Of the 32% of people who say they follow astrology, 63% say they have used or would consider using the stars to guide their financial decisions.
Among those who have relied on their horoscope for a financial decision, 39% say they’ve done so to decide when to save money — the most common response. In a close second, 38% have checked their horoscope to decide when to buy a lottery ticket. Meanwhile, 29% say they’ve done so to splurge on something they want.
According to LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz, checking your horoscope before making a financial move is an understandable impulse — at least to an extent.
Water signs are the most financially responsible
It’s not just the big decisions — your sign may also influence your financial well-being. And good news for the water signs: You’re the most financially responsible. While half (50%) of all respondents say they have a healthy balance of saving and spending, Cancerians, Scorpios and Pisceans are the most likely to identify as savers, at 30%.
What about the spenders? Earth signs take the cake here, with 25% of Tauruses, Virgos and Capricorns reporting that they’re more likely to spend than save. Meanwhile, fire and air signs are the most likely to balance spending and saving, at 51% for both.
Broken down by individual signs, Scorpios are the biggest savers — 37% report a tendency to save. For those who follow astrology, that may seem like a given: This scorpion-led sign is known for being resourceful and independent, characteristics that may help drive savers.
Following that:
- Aries (30%) are the most likely to splurge.
- Leos, Tauruses and Geminis are the most likely to balance saving and spending (at 57% for all three).
Aries are the least likely to have a budget
Not only are Aries the most likely to splurge, but they’re also the least likely to have a budget. While 93% of all consumers budget, more than 1 in 10 (12%) of the typically impulsive Aries don’t.
Having a budget is one thing, but sticking to it is another. Overall, only 20% of consumers always stick to their budget. Still, some signs are more likely to stick to their budget than others. Despite being thought to struggle with discipline, 26% of Scorpios say they always stick to their budget — which could also be why they report saving at a higher rate.
As an Aries himself, Schulz says he understands the difficulty of setting and maintaining a budget (yes, Scorpios, that may also apply to you). However, he says doing so is crucial to having good financial health, particularly for those struggling with overspending.
“You can’t make a meaningful plan to attack debt or grow savings without knowing how much money is coming in and going out of your household each month,” he says. “That’s where it all starts. From there, you can make decisions on spending based on your priorities.”
Investing: Which signs play it safe, which make risky moves
Scorpios may be conservative with their cash, but that’s not where their risk aversion ends. In fact, 30% of Scorpios say they play it safe with their investments despite knowing they may be missing out on bigger returns — tying with Aquariuses as the most likely to play it safe.
Meanwhile, the analytical Virgos are the group most likely to take big risks, with 13% saying they like to make bets with potentially big payoffs — 44% above consumers on average. (Tauruses are at 13%, too.)
Perhaps not wanting to be part of the status quo, 29% of Geminis report not having any investments — tying with Sagittariuses and Scorpios as the most likely to avoid the stock market altogether. Meanwhile, Pisceans are the most likely to have moderate risk tolerances, at 45%.
Broken down by element:
- Water signs (29%) are the most likely to have a low risk tolerance
- Air signs (39%) are the most likely to have a moderate risk tolerance
- Earth signs (12%) are the most likely to have a high risk tolerance
Meanwhile, air, earth and fire signs are all the most likely to not invest at all, at 27%.
Water signs have the best credit scores
When it comes to having an exceptional credit score, water signs come out on top again. Of this element, 15% report having FICO credit scores between 800 and 850 — tying with earth signs at the highest percentage among the groups. And, again, Scorpios in particular lead the way, at 18%.
Not all water signs are doing well, though. In fact, 10% of this element report a poor FICO Score between 300 and 579. Meanwhile, 19% of water signs say they don’t know their score. That compares with:
- 26% of fire signs
- 23% of air signs
- 17% of earth signs
Broken down further, Aries proves to be the least financially responsible again. Of this sign, 29% say they don’t know their credit score — the highest percentage of any sign. Schulz says that may have an impact beyond just finances.
“Your credit score doesn’t always matter, but when it does, it really, really matters,” he says. “Your credit score doesn’t just affect you when you’re shopping for a new mortgage, auto loan or credit card. It matters when you’re getting insurance, buying a new cellphone or looking for a new apartment. Also, a big drop in your credit score can be a sign that you’re a victim of identity theft, but you’d never know that unless you keep an eye on your score.”
Regardless of their sign, 79% of respondents know their credit score. Of all respondents, 37% say their score falls in the 670 to 799 range.
Improving your financial well-being: An expert reading
To improve your financial health, you don’t have to look to the stars to get started. For all signs (but particularly for his Aries brothers and sisters), Schulz recommends the following advice:
- Pay your bills on time every single time. “Few things in life are more expensive than having crummy credit, and nothing matters more to your credit than this,” he says. “Set up autopay on your bills today. It’s not perfect, but it can really, really help.”
- Check your credit report. “If you haven’t reviewed your report in a while (or ever), get a free credit report from all three major credit bureaus today,” he says. “They can be confusing and complicated, but you should review them at least once a year to make sure that all the information is accurate. Many people’s credit reports contain mistakes or signs of fraud, which can do real damage to your credit score. Having a good credit score is hard enough, so the last thing you need is for yours to be held down unnecessarily because of someone else’s actions.”
- When trying to control overspending, something as simple as making a list before you go shopping can make a huge difference. “Knowing what you need to buy can completely change the complexion of the shopping trip,” Schulz says. “It’s no longer about wandering the aisles looking for inspiration. It’s about going in, seeking what’s on your list and getting out. Just having that list makes you less likely to make impulse purchases, too, and those can wreck a budget.”
Methodology
LendingTree commissioned Qualtrics to conduct an online survey of 1,541 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 76 from Nov. 15 to 21, 2022. The survey was administered using a nonprobability-based sample, and quotas were used to ensure the sample base represented the overall population. Researchers reviewed all responses for quality control.
We defined generations as the following ages in 2022:
- Generation Z: 18 to 25
- Millennial: 26 to 41
- Generation X: 42 to 56
- Baby boomer: 57 to 76