How the quiz was built

The study. The quiz comes from a 2026 study of 943 U.S. adults aged 18 to 44, fielded in September 2026 in two rounds through an online panel, and it sits on six years of NextGen research with more than 10,000 millennials and Gen Z. The study measured how people feel about money, whether they lean into it or away from it, what a home means to them, how confident they are, how far ahead they think, and how heavily money weighs on them.

How the three builds were found. Respondents' answers to sixteen statements were analyzed for their underlying structure, which produced three dimensions: anxious versus calm, engaged versus avoidant, and home as foundation versus home as trap. People were then grouped by where they sat on all three at once. Three groups fit the data best and reappeared, with the same proportions, in an independent second sample. Those groups are the builds: Autopilot, Lookout and Anchor.

How the twelve types were made. Within each build, two further measures from the study split people four ways: money pressure (how much money weighs on you) and confidence (whether you believe you can reach a money goal you set). The cutoffs for those two measures are set at the study's midpoint and at a high level of agreement, and they will be re-checked once enough people have taken the quiz.

What the quiz does with your answers. Your twelve warm-up answers are scored the same way the study's respondents were scored and compared to the three builds; you get the closest one. That rule matches the study's own assignment for 88 percent of respondents. Your sixteen working-set answers set your type and your seven meters.

What the quiz can't do. It's a snapshot, not a diagnosis, and not financial advice. The study is cross-sectional, which means it can't say that one thing causes another or that types change over time. The study sample was 18 to 44; the quiz is open to all adults, and results for older takers are compared to that sample. Percentages on this site are unweighted and describe the study sample, not the U.S. population.

Who did the research. NextGen Research, led by Kristin Messerli, with the 2026 study sponsored by National MI. The full methods and limitations are in the study report, published on nextgenhomebuyer.com.

The study report: nextgenhomebuyer.com.