Technology

Almost 80% of Gen Z and Millennials Use ‘Survival Spending’

Published

3 hours ago

April 21, 2026

New Survey from Beyond Finance and Operation HOPE reveals young Americans are focusing on immediate priorities and real-world decisions over long-term financial ideals

45% would use tax refunds for bills or debt, 77% rely on short-term financial strategies like Buy Now Pay Later for essentials, 39% are turning to AI to guide money decisions, and 73% want to know someone’s exact financial situation before the third date

CHICAGO and ATLANTA, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Almost 80% of Gen Z and Millennials use ‘survival spending’ to get by in today’s economy with nearly half of Gen Z and Millennials indicating they would use a tax refund to cover bills or pay down debt, 77% relying on short-term financial strategies like Buy Now, Pay Later for essentials, and 39% turning to AI to guide money decisions. As part of its annual Financial Practice Week, Beyond Finance partnered with leading financial literacy nonprofit Operation HOPE to examine how young Americans are actually managing money, finding a clear break from traditional financial practice as they cope with the current economic landscape.

The research challenges the idea that younger generations are abandoning financial responsibility. Instead, it shows a generation actively adapting, making decisions that prioritize immediate needs, flexibility, and informed tradeoffs. While 7 in 10 say wealth-building feels out of reach, their actions tell a more defining story: Financial strategy today is less about getting ahead and more about staying in control. From how they allocate income to how they seek advice — including 73% who want full financial transparency before the third date — Gen Z and Millennials are building financial practices grounded in adaptability, prioritization, and real-world decision-making.

These additional findings follow recent Financial Literacy Month news on the rise of ‘survival spending,’ and give us a closer look at how Gen Z and Millennials are actually managing money, making tradeoffs, and navigating financial decisions day to day.

A Shift Toward Immediate Financial Priorities

Tax refunds used for survival, not splurging: 45% would put the money toward bills or debt, and less than 4% would spend it on travel or leisure.

‘Survival spending’ has become a financial strategy: Nearly 77% report using tactics like Buy Now, Pay Later for essentials, reflecting a shift toward short-term financial management.

Side hustles are now part of the baseline financial plan: 71% say additional income is necessary just to keep up.

Experiences over savings: 59% say spending on meaningful experiences today feels more practical than saving for long-term goals that seem increasingly out of reach, with 65% feeling uncertain whether traditional retirement planning will deliver real security.

Redefining Financial Practices

Peer-to-Peer learning on the rise: Financial practice is becoming more social. Gen Z is now more likely to consult social media experts (24%) than they are their parents (21%) to refine their money strategies.

Financial silence is waning: The practice of “financial silence” is disappearing, with 73% of respondents wanting to know someone’s exact financial situation before the third date.

The Rise of Real-Time Financial Decision-Making

AI is becoming a financial co-pilot: 39% are already using AI to budget or inform financial decisions, often running “what if” scenarios before taking action.

Hybrid decision-making is emerging as the norm: Many are combining AI insights with human advice, creating more personalized, responsive approaches to money management.

Digital tools are reshaping engagement: 16% use apps that gamify saving and spending, reinforcing financial habits through continuous interaction.

“Gen Z and Millennials aren’t failing at money. The system they inherited has changed, and they’re responding in real time,” said Dr. Erika Rasure, chief financial wellness advisor at Beyond Finance. “What we’re seeing is a generation shifting from long-term financial ideals to daily financial practices, such as using windfalls to stabilize, leaning on tools like AI to make decisions, and prioritizing what’s immediately within their control. That adaptability isn’t a weakness — it’s a new form of financial resilience.”

Despite these challenges, younger generations remain highly engaged, adapting their behaviors and redefining what financial success looks like in today’s environment.

“Every generation must answer the economic test of its time, and this generation is no different. Gen Z and Millennials are not walking away from success. They are searching for a model that speaks to their lived reality, their struggle, and their hope. The old rules alone cannot carry them where they need to go. We must give them something deeper than theory. We must restore their sense of unlimited possibility, backed with vision, tools, and a pathway. At Operation HOPE, we believe financial literacy is the new civil rights issue of our time. And our calling is to help this generation move from uncertainty to confidence, from surviving to thriving, and from financial stress to lasting wealth—so they can build not just a living, but a future,” said John Hope Bryant, founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE.

Redefining Hope for a New Financial Reality

Held during the last week of Financial Literacy Month, Beyond Finance’s Financial Practice Week is an initiative designed to help people reconnect with their financial power by building personalized, emotionally grounded practices. To examine your money mindset further, explore a money management guide from Beyond Finance and then take Operation HOPE’s quizzes, AI video training, and micro-courses.

This survey was commissioned by Beyond Finance in collaboration with Operation HOPE, and conducted by QuestionPro, a third-party research company, from March 16 – 18, 2026, with a collective sample of 2,000 Millennial (born 1981 to 1996) and Gen Z adults (born 1997-2008) Americans. An executive summary of the findings can be found here. Full research findings are available upon request.

About Beyond Finance

Beyond Finance, LLC, is the nation’s largest debt consolidation company. In its commitment to providing clients with a personalized approach to move beyond debt, Beyond Finance provides simple and transparent solutions that help consumers lower their eligible monthly payments, reduce the impact of interest, and reach a debt-free life sooner. Beyond Finance holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been awarded with multiple recognitions for its commitment to clients: Organization of the Year – The Business Intelligence Group’s Excellence in Customer Service Award, Gold Stevie Award for Outstanding Customer Service Department, Banking Tech Award – Financial Wellness Champion, Best In Biz Gold Award for top Customer Service Team, and 3 ConsumerAffairs’ “Buyer’s Choice Awards.” Beyond Finance has offices in Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston. For more information, visit BeyondFinance.com.

About Operation HOPE, Inc.

Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to “silver rights” with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $4.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. For more information visit OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/almost-80-of-gen-z-and-millennials-use-survival-spending-302747513.html

SOURCE Beyond Finance

Technology

Sunlighten Introduces PulseIQ™: The Intelligent Platform Redefining Infrared Wellness

Published

7 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

PulseIQ™ delivers four distinct wavelengths independently, adapting each session to support recovery, relaxation, and performance.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sunlighten, the global leader in infrared sauna innovation, today announced the launch of PulseIQ™, its proprietary intelligent wellness platform. This breakthrough sets a new standard for how infrared energy is delivered, absorbed, and translated into personalized wellness outcomes.

For decades, the sauna category has remained largely unchanged. Traditional saunas deliver heat. Most infrared saunas claim “full spectrum,” but in reality blend wavelengths together into a single, undifferentiated output.

The result is a one-dimensional experience. The sauna turns on, heat increases, and the body is exposed to inconsistent energy with no control over how it is delivered or absorbed.

PulseIQ™ changes that.

PulseIQ™ redefines how infrared works by delivering red light, near-, mid-, and far-infrared separately and intelligently. Instead of blending wavelengths and losing their effectiveness, PulseIQ™ isolates and controls each wavelength so your body receives the right type of infrared energy at the right time.

This is infrared intelligence. This is PulseIQ™.

A Category Built on Heat. Reimagined Around Outcomes.

Most saunas today operate with a simple on and off experience. As heat rises, there is no control over the wavelengths being delivered. The distinct benefits of each wavelength are lost, reducing the experience to heat rather than targeted infrared energy.

The difference is not just how many wavelengths are present. It is how they are delivered.

Your body responds to each wavelength differently. When they are blended together, your body cannot fully use them. You are not truly receiving distinct infrared light energy.

PulseIQ™ changes that by isolating each wavelength and delivering it with precision. This allows your body to absorb more usable energy, driving better outcomes based on what your body needs that day.

Because wellness is not static. Your body’s needs change daily. Your sauna should adapt with you.

From One-Dimensional Heat to Personalized Infrared Therapy

PulseIQ™ transforms the sauna experience from passive heat to an intelligent, outcome-driven wellness solution.

Four distinct wavelengths delivered independently so each can perform its specific role in the bodySix science-backed wellness programs designed around goals like recovery, detoxification, relaxation, and performancePrecision control of energy delivery and temperature to eliminate peaks and valleys and keep the body within optimal therapeutic ranges

Each wavelength is delivered at the intensity and depth your body can absorb, ensuring the energy is not just produced but used effectively.

Red light supports skin health and surface-level repairNear-infrared supports cellular energy and recoveryMid-infrared supports circulation and muscle recoveryFar-infrared supports core temperature and detoxification

By controlling how this energy is delivered, PulseIQ™ helps your body achieve the specific wellness outcomes you are seeking, whether that is faster recovery, deeper relaxation, improved circulation, or daily restoration.

An Intelligent Sauna That Evolves With You

PulseIQ™ is designed not just for today, but for the future of personalized wellness.

“Infrared has never been about heat alone. It is about how the body responds to light,” said Connie Zack, Co-Founder of Sunlighten. “With PulseIQ™, we control the light your body is receiving so it can absorb more of what it needs. That leads to better outcomes, whether you are focused on recovery, relaxation, or long-term wellness.”

PulseIQ™ introduces an intelligent platform that evolves with you, helping you get more personalized results from every session.

“We are building the next generation of sauna technology,” said Aaron Zack, CEO of Sunlighten. “Our bodies are complex and constantly changing, yet most saunas offer a one-dimensional on and off experience. With PulseIQ™, we’re measuring data every day and using it to advance our technology. In the future, your sauna will be able to guide you. If your body needs recovery or support, it will recommend the right program for you. The sauna you buy today should grow with you, adapting to your needs and helping you achieve better wellness outcomes over time.”

Engineering the Future of Infrared Wellness

For more than 25 years, Sunlighten has led the industry through science, innovation, and a deep understanding of how the body responds to infrared energy.

PulseIQ™ builds on that foundation with a clear focus on what matters most to consumers.

Not just heat.
Not just presence of wavelengths.
But how effectively that energy is delivered and absorbed by the body.

PulseIQ™ delivers the most usable infrared energy at precise wavelengths your body can absorb, giving you greater confidence that every session is working toward your wellness goals.

Redefining What Infrared Should Deliver

PulseIQ™ reframes the conversation around infrared saunas.

This is not about turning heat on and off.
This is about controlling the energy your body receives.

With PulseIQ™, Sunlighten introduces:

1 intelligent sauna platform4 precisely controlled, distinct wavelengths6 guided, science-backed wellness programsA system designed to evolve and personalize over time

Better delivery leads to greater absorption.
Greater absorption leads to better wellness outcomes.

This is infrared intelligence. This is PulseIQ™.

About Sunlighten

Sunlighten is the global leader in infrared sauna and light-based wellness innovation. With more than 25 years of expertise, patented technologies, and a commitment to science-backed performance, Sunlighten designs products that help the body perform, recover, and thrive.

Contact:

Maria Dolgetta

mdolgetta@sunlighten.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sunlighten-introduces-pulseiq-the-intelligent-platform-redefining-infrared-wellness-302748918.html

SOURCE Sunlighten

Technology

Novita AI Ranked as the Best Performing & Reliable Inference Layer

Published

7 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

120+ LLMs through a single API, with day-0 model availability, OpenAI and Anthropic compatibility, and top-ranked performance validated by Artificial Analysis.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As demand for open-source AI infrastructure grows, Novita AI is establishing itself as the inference provider for developers and engineering teams that need fast and affordable inference for production AI. The platform covers more than 120 large language models through a single OpenAI-compatible and Anthropic-compatible API, makes every new model available on release day, and ranked #1 for scientific reasoning accuracy across all major inference providers, according to independent benchmarking by Artificial Analysis.

Novita AI is trusted by leading teams across the AI ecosystem, including Hugging Face, Quora, OpenRouter, Vercel, Kilo Code, and Genspark.

“Open-source AI moves at a pace that most infrastructure hasn’t kept up with,” said Junyu Huang, COO of Novita AI. “We built Novita to close that gap. When a new model ships, developers can be in production with it the same day, on infrastructure they can actually rely on.”

Artificial Analysis provides comparison and analysis of AI models and API hosting providers, with independent benchmarks across key performance metrics including quality, price, and output speed. In its GPT-OSS 120B assessment covering all major inference providers, Novita AI ranked as follows (April 2026):

GPQA Diamond (scientific reasoning): #1 among all providers, scoring 79.0% across 16 runs

AIME 2025 (advanced mathematics): 93.3% across 32 runs, at the level of the top providers

IFBench (instruction following): #5, scoring 68.9%, within 0.8 points of the top provider

Source: Artificial Analysis GPT-OSS-120B Provider Benchmarks, April 2026.

New models ship constantly. Novita AI makes each one available through its API on release day, without exception. For engineering teams running evaluation pipelines or production systems that depend on current models, access is never the bottleneck.

Novita AI hosts more than 120 LLMs across every major model family, including Qwen, DeepSeek, LLaMA, Mistral, Gemma, GLM, Phi, and more. All models share the same API format, authentication, and SDK. Teams on the OpenAI or Anthropic SDK can switch to Novita by changing the base URL.

Novita’s API works out of the box with Claude Code, OpenClaw, Codex CLI, and OpenCode.

Novita AI delivers fast inference with the full feature set production AI teams depend on, with no tiered restrictions or add-ons.

Tool calling: compliant with OpenAI and Anthropic function-calling specifications, supporting multi-turn agent workflows

Structured outputs: JSON responses that conform to a specified schema, no parsing wrappers needed

Prompt caching: lower latency and token costs for RAG pipelines and agent sessions with repeated context

Novita AI is an AI and agent cloud platform helping developers and startups build, deploy, and scale models and agentic applications with high performance, reliability, and cost efficiency. The platform delivers fast inference across 120+ LLMs and multimodal models through a single API, alongside GPU Instances, Bare Metal, and Agent Sandbox infrastructure built for production AI.

For more information, visit novita.ai.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novita-ai-ranked-as-the-best-performing–reliable-inference-layer-302748913.html

SOURCE Novita AI

Technology

Arasan acheives the Industrys First ASIL-D Certification for its CAN XL IP Core

Published

7 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Arasan announces the industry’s first ASIL-D Certification for its CAN XL IP. The certification also covers Arasan’s CAN FD IP and CAN 2.0 IP.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Apr. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Arasan Chip Systems, the industry’s leading provider of IP for Mobile and Automobile SoC’s, announced today that its CAN XL IP has achieved the ASIL-D Certification. The CAN XL IP has been independently certified by SGS-TÜV Saar as ASIL-D, the highest safety level of functional safety defined in ISO 26262, the international standard for functional safety in road vehicles.

The CAN XL IP is backward compatible with the CAN FD and CAN 2.0 standards. The ASIL-D certification also covers Arasan’s CAN FD IP and CAN 2.0 IP which will continue to be sold as ASIL-D certified independent products.

Arasan is offering a free upgrade to its CAN XL IP for customers interested in licensing CAN FD until June 30, 2026. The gate count increase from CAN FD to CAN XL is minimal and customers are encouraged to leverage this promotion to adopt the latest version of the CAN Specification, CAN XL.

“Arasan’s IP have been used extensively in mission critical and life endangering applications in defense, nuclear, aerospace, medical and automotive ADAS SoC’s ” said Ron Mabry, VP of Sales at Arasan. “The ASIL-D Certification attests to our fail safe design philosophy”.

Arasan’s has an extensive portfolio of ASIL-B, ASIL-C and ASIL-D certified products including the MIPI DSI-2 IP for Display, MIPI CSI-2 IP for Camera both of which are seamlessly integrated with the MIPI D-PHY IP or the MIPI C-PHY IP, JEDEC eMMC IP for storage and UNH Certified automotive grade Ethernet IP when high speed automotive connectivity is required.

For more information, please visit: https://www.arasan.com/product/can-bus-controller-ip/

Availability

ASIL-D certified CAN IP products, including the CAN XL IP, CAN FD IP and CAN 2.0 IP, are available to license immediately from Arasan. Please contact sales@arasan.com to license our CAN IP.

Arasan Chip Systems, founded in 1995 is a provider of IP solutions for mobile storage and connectivity interfaces. Arasan’s focus lies in mobile SoCs, which have evolved to encompass a wide range of applications, from PDAs in the mid-’90s to today’s automobiles, drones, and IoT devices. Arasan remains at the forefront of this “Mobile” evolution, providing standards-based IP that forms the foundation of Mobile SoCs. Over a billion chips have been shipped with Arasan’s IP.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/arasan-acheives-the-industrys-first-asil-d-certification-for-its-can-xl-ip-core-302746283.html

SOURCE Arasan Chip Systems, Inc.