Nearly 4 in 10 workers earning more than $300,000 say they live paycheck to paycheck, according to Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s 2026 retirement report. The findings challenge the assumption that financial security rises steadily with income: financial strain eases for workers earning $100,000 to $300,000, then increases again above $300,000. The same U-shaped pattern appears in delayed financial goals, postponed retirement savings and minimum credit-card payments. About 40% of workers earning under $100,000 make only the minimum payment, compared with 35% in the $100,000-to-$300,000 group and 42% among those earning above $300,000. Nearly half of workers earning $500,000 made minimum payments this year, up from 39% last year.