CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale — Free 10-Question Self-Check

Measure your current sense of financial security and freedom with a Korean translation of the 10-item Financial Well-Being Scale published by the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. About two minutes, a 0-40 raw score and four reference bands. No Korean norms yet, so treat it as a guide.

What's included

Questions: 10 items
Price: Free
Areas measured: 재정 웰빙 점수

When this scale is worth taking

Take it when you cannot work out why money is always tight even though your salary arrives on time, when one gift or family event throws off the month, or, conversely, when you are saving but want to know whether you are actually in good shape. Financial well-being is not the size of your assets; it is the sense that you are in control of your finances now and for the future, and that money supports your life rather than constraining it. On the same income, that feeling varies enormously from person to person.

This scale is a faithful Korean translation of the 10-item Financial Well-Being Scale that the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) developed and released into the public domain. Items 1-6 ask how well statements such as "I could handle a major unexpected expense" describe you right now; items 7-10 ask how often situations such as "I have money left over at the end of the month" happen to you. Example situations were adapted to Korean life, such as wedding and birthday gifts, but the meaning of each item matches the original.

What to do with your result

Your result is shown as the raw score of the 10 items, from 0 to 40. The original scale converts this raw score to a 0-100 scale using an item-response-theory lookup table, and in the CFPB's 2017 national survey the average for US adults was about 54. Because that conversion and average rest on US norms, this Korean version shows the raw score as is and adds four provisional bands set by Soundary as a reference: 0-12 low, 13-19 somewhat low, 20-27 average and 28-40 good. These bands were not defined by the CFPB and may change once Korean norms exist.

In the low band, start with the basics: review fixed expenses and build an emergency fund through small automatic transfers, and if debt or arrears are involved, use a public financial counselling service. In the somewhat-low band, the next step is to lay out your monthly cash flow so you can build a buffer; from the average band upward, writing down the size of your emergency fund and your retirement and lump-sum goals as actual numbers sharpens the direction. Because the scale measures subjective security, remeasure after a job change, a loan or a major investment and watch the trend; every three to six months is a comfortable rhythm. To see how money worries affect your mood, pair it with the financial stress scale. This result is for reference only and is not investment advice; financial decisions and their outcomes remain your own responsibility.

How scores are interpreted

재정 웰빙 점수

10문항 합산 원점수 0~40점(긍정 문항은 동의할수록, 부정 문항은 부정할수록 높은 점수). 점수가 높을수록 현재와 미래의 재정에 대한 안정감, 그리고 돈이 삶을 제약하지 않는 재정적 자유가 큰 것을 의미합니다. 원척도는 IRT 룩업표로 0~100점으로 환산하며 미국 성인 평균은 약 54점(원점수 약 20점 전후)이지만, 이는 미국 규준 기준 근사치이므로 한국어판에서는 원점수 0~40의 변화 추이를 반복 측정으로 추적하는 것을 권장합니다.

0–12pts · 낮음
재정 상황이 일상적인 스트레스와 불안의 큰 원인이 되고 있을 가능성이 높은 수준입니다. 예상 밖 지출을 막아줄 완충장치가 거의 없고, 돈 걱정이 삶의 다른 영역까지 잠식하기 쉽습니다. 고정지출 점검과 소액이라도 자동이체로 비상금을 쌓는 기본기부터 시작하고, 부채·연체가 얽혀 있다면 서민금융진흥원·신용회복위원회 같은 공적 상담 창구를 활용해 보세요. 이 결과는 참고용이며, 재무 판단과 그 결과는 본인 책임입니다.
13–19pts · 다소 낮음
매달 그럭저럭 꾸려가고는 있지만 여유가 얇아, 경조사비나 갑작스러운 지출 한 번에도 흔들리기 쉬운 상태입니다. 월 현금흐름(수입과 고정지출)을 눈에 보이게 정리하고 비상자금을 조금씩 쌓아 완충장치를 만드는 것이 일반적으로 권장되는 다음 단계입니다. 높은 수익을 좇기 전에 지출 구조를 먼저 안정시키라는 신호일 수 있습니다. 이 결과는 참고용이며, 재무 판단은 본인 책임입니다.
20–27pts · 보통
미국 성인 평균(원점수 약 20점 전후, 0~100 환산 약 54점)과 비슷한 범위입니다. 기본적인 생활은 감당하지만 미래 대비나 '돈으로부터의 자유'에서는 아쉬움이 남을 수 있는 수준입니다. 비상자금 규모를 키우고 노후·목돈 목표를 구체적인 숫자로 적어보면 다음 단계가 또렷해지며, 반복 측정으로 원점수(0~40)의 추이를 지켜보는 것이 좋습니다. 결과는 참고용이며 재무 판단과 결과는 본인 책임입니다.
28–40pts · 양호
재정적 안정감과 자유도가 높은 편입니다. 예상 밖 지출을 감당할 완충장치가 있고, 돈이 삶을 통제하기보다 삶을 뒷받침한다고 느끼는 상태에 가깝습니다. 다만 이 점수는 현재의 주관적 웰빙을 나타내므로, 이직·대출·큰 투자 같은 상황 변화 후에는 다시 측정해 추이를 확인하는 것이 좋습니다. 높은 점수가 특정 투자 성과를 보장하는 것은 아니며, 결과는 참고용이고 투자 판단과 결과는 본인 책임입니다.

Sample questions

1. 예상치 못한 큰 지출이 생겨도 감당할 수 있다.
2. 나는 나의 재정적 미래를 착실히 준비해 가고 있다.
3. 돈 사정 때문에, 살면서 원하는 것들을 결코 갖지 못할 것 같다.
4. 돈을 잘 관리하고 있는 덕분에 삶을 즐길 수 있다.

정답은 없습니다. 1~6번 문항은 그 문장이 지금의 나를 얼마나 잘 설명하는지, 7~10번 문항은 나에게 얼마나 자주 해당하는지, 최근 자신의 재정 상황을 기준으로 가장 가까운 답을 골라주세요.

FAQ

How do I interpret my financial well-being score?

You get the raw score of the 10 items, from 0 to 40. Soundary's provisional reference bands are 0-12 low, 13-19 somewhat low, 20-27 average and 28-40 good. A higher score means a stronger sense of security about your present and future finances and more freedom from money constraining your life. The bands were not set by the CFPB and are not diagnostic criteria.

It is a US scale. Does it apply to Koreans as is?

What the items ask about, such as handling an unexpected expense, preparing for the future, having money left at month's end and feeling that money runs your life, translates well across cultures, so the Korean version is still meaningful. However, the original 0-100 conversion table and the US adult average of about 54 are based on US norms and cannot be compared directly. That is why this version shows the raw 0-40 score and is best used to track your own trend over repeated measurements rather than for absolute comparison.

My score is low. Where should I start?

Stabilize your spending structure before chasing higher returns. Review fixed expenses and build an emergency fund through small automatic transfers so unexpected costs have a buffer. Simply writing down monthly income and fixed outgoings where you can see them raises your sense of control. If debt or arrears are involved, a public financial counselling service is a good place to turn. This is general guidance, not individual financial advice.

How often should I remeasure?

Financial well-being shifts slowly, so every three to six months is a comfortable rhythm. After a structural change, such as a job move, a new loan, a major investment, marriage or a new baby, retake it regardless of timing to see the effect. Following your own raw 0-40 score across repeated measurements is far more useful than comparing yourself with the US average. To see how money worries affect your mood, pair it with the financial stress scale.

Source

The items in this test are a self-check adaptation based on the original instrument and literature below: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2015). Measuring financial well-being: A guide to using the CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale. Washington, DC: CFPB. / Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2017). CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale: Scale development technical report. Washington, DC: CFPB. — A Korean translation of the 10 public-domain items. Results are shown as the raw score (0-40) without the 0-100 conversion; the bands are Soundary's provisional reference thresholds and no Korean norms exist yet.

This is a self-screening tool, not a medical diagnosis. If the result concerns you, please consult a mental health professional.