2026 is fast approaching. And, amongst increasing economic uncertainty, money-minded individuals are carefully considering whether the year ahead could be a very lucrative or entirely unprofitable one.
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GOBankingRates consulted experts to find out if it’ll be easier or harder to make money next year.
Passive Income Streams and Investments
When asked if Americans will have an easier or harder time earning money in 2026 given rising costs and current economic conditions, Julia Khandoshko, CEO at Mind Money, explained earning money via passive income streams and investments will likely be more complex than in recent years.
Khandoshko said interest rates, while gradually coming down, were elevated the past few years. Inflation, however, moderated in 2024 and 2025.
The past couple years, “The simplest and cleanest investment strategies were bonds and money market instruments,” stated Khandoshko. “It was almost an automatic process: You deposited your money and lived peacefully, enjoying steady returns.”
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In 2024, for instance, life was far more linear; a 4% or 5% return felt stable and predictable. Additionally, the S&P 500 was strong. In 2024, the S&P 500 had a total appreciation of approximately 25%. As of late 2025, the S&P has appreciated approximately 13% to 14% year-to-date, per Yahoo Finance.
Khandoshko explained that 2026 will be fundamentally different when it comes to money market instruments. The S&P 500, while no one can predict for sure, may prove to be less strong in 2026 as tariffs and trade wars threaten to bring about a recession, as Paul Hannon, economics editor at the Wall Street Journal, told CBS News.
Because the easing of monetary policies (i.e. lowering interest rates and increasing money supply) will take hold in the U.S. and across the globe, what were previously safe and reliable returns of satisfactory amounts will now be relatively lower amounts, causing some investors to look elsewhere for potentially better returns that ultimately carry more risk. Additionally, rising inflation means money will not go as far. Pile on top of that some significant economic uncertainty and “simple solutions will no longer be enough” to generate the returns of recent years.
While the year ahead could bring plenty of chances for profit, there will be less simple and automatic routes for obtaining the same degree of it. And that route will involve more risk and, therefore, opportunities for financial loss. In 2026, earning money via passive income streams and investments will require far more knowledge and strategy.
What About Side Gigs?
Earning money from side gigs in 2026 will favor those that can adapt to a changing world. With the rise of AI, gig workers best positioned to have an easier time earning money are those that either embrace and incorporate new technologies entirely or learn a skilled, hands-on trade to take advantage of essential needs that AI can’t fulfill.
Per GOBankingRates, examples include gigs like mobile car detailing, electrical work and AI-driven marketing services for small businesses.
If they fail to adapt, workers who perform repetitive tasks in data entry or customer service, for instance, will have a harder time earning money in 2026 as their jobs are gradually replaced by AI.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Will It Be Easier or Harder To Make Money in 2026? Experts Weigh In
