THE xLIFE SCORE METHODOLOGY

A life score built from evidence and expert consensus

xLIFE maps 511 signals across fitness, nutrition, mental health, money, and time to research tied to lifespan, healthspan, and happiness, then reviews them with credentialed experts to keep the score balanced

511 scored signals · 487 cited sources · 5 life pillars · 133 expert reviewers

Not one opinion

Evidence-backed

Signals trace to cited research, guidelines, tools, or standards
Consensus-reviewed

Experts review what belongs, how much it should matter, and where the evidence is strongest
Bias-checked

Panel review helps reduce single-expert bias across disciplines

The five pillars

Tap any pillar to see what it measures

Fitness

How well your body works, head to toe.
Far more than weight. Your heart and circulation, lungs and breathing, blood and metabolism, and how your organs are functioning. Your strength, stamina, balance, and cardio fitness. Plus how well you sleep, move, and recover day to day.

◆ Scored against the clinical reference ranges doctors use (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, VO₂max, and more).
The science · 182 studies cited
Nutrition

What you eat, and what it does to you.
Not just calories. The quality of your whole diet: whole foods, fiber, protein, and healthy fats on one side; added sugar, salt, and ultra-processed food on the other. The vitamins and minerals you get, what you drink, and how and when you eat.

◆ Anchored to national dietary-guideline targets and large-population health studies.
The science · 48 studies cited
Mental

How you're really feeling.
Your mood, anxiety, and stress. How well you sleep and bounce back from hard days. How connected you feel to other people. And the everyday habits that quietly lift you up or wear you down. Emotional and psychological health, measured honestly.

◆ Built on the same validated questionnaires clinicians use (e.g. PHQ-9, GAD-7) and their established thresholds.
The science · 80 studies cited
Financial

How steady your money really is.
Far more than income. How long your savings would last if income stopped, how heavy your debt is, what you're worth, and how reliable your earnings are. Whether you're on track for retirement, how healthy your credit is, and how tax-smart your money is.

◆ Measured against established personal-finance benchmarks (emergency-fund months, debt-to-income, net worth, credit health).
The science · 142 studies cited
1. · Aon Hewitt Real Deal Study; Munnell, Hou & Sanzenbacher 2018 BC CRR WP 2018-3.
2. · Barber & Odean 2000 J Finance 55(2):773-806; Dalbar QAIB.
3. · Barber BM, Odean T. J Finance 2000;55(2):773-806.
4. · BEA NIPA Personal Saving Rate; Dynan, Skinner & Zeldes 2004 JPE 112(2):397-444; CFP Board.
5. · BEA NIPA; Dynan et al. 2004 JPE 112(2):397-444.
6. · Benartzi S. J Finance 2001;56(5):1747-1764; Bodie Z. FAJ 1995;51(3):18-22.
7. · Bengen WP. J Financial Planning 1994;7(4):171-180; Cooley/Hubbard/Walz 1998 Trinity Study.
8. · Berkin AL, Ye J. J Wealth Management 2003;6(2):71-79.
9. · Bernheim BD, Forni L, Gokhale J, Kotlikoff LJ. AER 2003;93(1):354-365.
10. · Bhutta N, Blair J, Dettling LJ. FEDS Notes 2021 Federal Reserve Board. CFP Board 3-mo floor / 6-mo optimal.
11. · Bogle JC. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing. Wiley 2007; Cocco, Gomes & Maenhout 2005 RFS 18(2):491-533.
12. · Brinson, Hood & Beebower 1986 FAJ 42(4):39-44; Ibbotson & Kaplan 2000 FAJ 56(1):26-33.
13. · Carhart MM. J Finance 1997;52(1):57-82; Bogle JC. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing 2007.
14. · CFA Institute Standards of Practice; Vanguard Advisor's Alpha Kinniry et al. 2014/2019.
15. · CFA Institute Standards; Vanguard.
16. · CFP Board Practice Standards; Saez & Zucman 2016 QJE 131(2):519-578.
17. · CFP Board Practice Standards; tax-planning practitioner literature.
18. · CFPB 2017 Technical Report §4 freedom / choice sub-construct.
19. · CFPB 2017 Technical Report §4 security sub-construct.
20. · CFPB 2017 Technical Report §4 sub-construct analysis — control / security / freedom / choice. IRT factor analysis identifies four-domain CFPB FWB structure.
21. · CFPB 2017 Technical Report §6 (short-form derivation). Retains >90% long-form variance (R²≈0.92); produces standardized 0-100 score via Appendix C age-stratified IRT table.
22. · CFPB ATR/QM Rule 12 CFR § 1026.43 (2014). 28% underwriting standard.
23. · CFPB ATR/QM Rule 12 CFR § 1026.43 (2014). 43% safe-harbor.
24. · CFPB Consumer Credit Card Market Report.
25. · CFPB Data Point: Frequent Overdrafters 2017. ≥10/yr identifies frequent-overdrafter cohort.
26. · CFPB Overdraft Data Points.
27. · Choi DA et al. Financial strain is associated with sleep disturbance. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17(13):4847. PMID 32635457. Dose-response between financial strain and sleep-quality.
28. · Constantinides GM. Econometrica 1983;51(3):611-636; Khang & Long 2024 Vanguard whitepaper.
29. · Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale: Scale Development Technical Report. Washington, DC: CFPB; May 2017. IRT-validated using a graded-response model on n=5,395 U.S. adults; α ≥ 0.86 across age + income strata. Canonical 0-100 standardized scoring table in CFPB 2017 Appendix B (SAS macro provided). Population mean = 54 (SD 14) per CFPB 2017 Financial Well-Being in America national survey.
30. · Council for Disability Awareness; Himmelstein DU et al. Am J Med 2009;122(8):741-746 PMID 19501347.
31. · Credit CARD Act 2009; Agarwal et al. 2015 QJE 130(1):111-164.
32. · CSPN industry data; Dynarski S, Scott-Clayton J. JEP 2013;27(2):67-88.
33. · Dalbar Inc. Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior annual 1994-present.
34. · Dammon RM, Spatt CS, Zhang HH. J Finance 2004;59(3):999-1037.
35. · DeVaney 1994; CFP Board Practice Standards.
36. · DeVaney 1994; Greninger et al. 1996.
37. · DeVaney 1994; Lyons 2003.
38. · DeVaney SA. Financial Counseling and Planning 1994;5:5-24. CFP Board Practice Standards — months runway ≥3 floor / ≥6 optimal.
39. · Dew J, Britt S, Huston S. Examining the relationship between financial issues and divorce. Family Relations 2012;61(4):615-628. Financial conflict dose-response with marital dissolution.
40. · Dew, Britt & Huston 2012 Family Relations 61(4):615-628. >4 arguments/month is the marital-stability inflection (HR ≈1.5 in 4-year follow-up).
41. · Drentea P, Lavrakas PJ. Over the limit: the association among health, race and debt. Soc Sci Med 2000;50(4):517-529. PMID 10641804. Money-anxiety construct distinct from GAD; predictive of CV risk independent of debt level.
42. · Dynan et al. 2004 JPE; SCF distributions.
43. · Dynarski & Scott-Clayton 2013 JEP 27(2):67-88; College Board Trends in College Pricing annual.
44. · EBRI HSA Database annual; IRS Rev. Proc. annual HSA limits.
45. · EBRI IRA Database annual.
46. · Fair Isaac FICO Mortgage Scores; Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-5.1-04.
47. · Fair Isaac Understanding FICO Scores.
48. · Fair Isaac Understanding FICO; CFPB Snapshot annual.
49. · Fair Isaac Understanding FICO; CFPB Snapshot.
50. · Fair Isaac Understanding FICO; FRBNY CCP.
51. · Fair Isaac Understanding FICO.
52. · Fama EF, French KR. J Financial Economics 1997;43(2):153-193.
53. · Farrell & Greig 2016 JPMCI; Fed SHED annual.
54. · Farrell D, Greig F. Cash is King. JPMorgan Chase Institute 2016.
55. · Farrell D, Greig F. JPMCI Volatility Report 2016.
56. · Farrell, Greig & Hamoudi 2019 JPMCI.
57. · Farrell, Greig & Yu 2018 JPMCI; Lusardi, Schneider & Tufano 2011 Brookings.
58. · Federal Reserve Board SHED $1000 variant; mirrors $400 categorical mapping per derivation §2.1.5.
59. · Federal Reserve Board Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED), annual 2013-present. Most-cited single-item measure of household financial fragility.
60. · Federal Reserve SCF triennial 1989-present.
61. · Federal Reserve SCF triennial; US Census CPS-ASEC annual; Piketty, Saez & Zucman 2018 QJE 133(2):553-609.
62. · Federal Reserve SCF; Bricker J et al. Federal Reserve Bulletin 2020.
63. · FHFA Monthly Interest Rate Survey historical series.
64. · FICO published methodology.
65. · FICO Understanding FICO Scores — payment history = 35% of FICO 8. FRBNY CCP delinquency analyses.
66. · Fidelity Investments 2021 Age-Based Retirement Savings Guidelines; Scholz JK, Seshadri A, Khitatrakun S. JPE 2006;114(4):607-643.
67. · FinCEN Form 114 (FBAR); IRS Form 8938 (FATCA).
68. · FINRA Investor Education Foundation National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) 2009-present. Validated by Lusardi & Mitchell 2014 J Economic Literature 52(1):5-44.
69. · Foote, Gerardi & Willen 2008 J Urban Econ 64(2):234-245.
70. · FRBNY auto-loan HHDC; Argyle, Nadauld & Palmer 2020 J Finance 75(6).
71. · FRBNY Consumer Credit Panel; Looney & Yannelis 2015 Brookings.
72. · French & Poterba 1991 AER; Vanguard 2014.
73. · French KR, Poterba JM. AER 1991;81(2):222-226; Vanguard 2014 Considerations for International Equity.
74. · French KR, Poterba JM. AER 1991;81(2):222-226.
75. · Fuster A, Willen PS. AEJ Macro 2017;9(4):167-191.
76. · Goetzmann & Kumar 2008 Review of Finance 12(3):433-463.
77. · Grable JE, Lytton RH. Financial Services Review 1999;8(3):163-181.
78. · Greninger et al. 1996; FRBNY HHDC quarterly.
79. · Greninger et al. 1996; Lytton, Garman & Porter 1991.
80. · Greninger SA et al. Financial Services Review 1996;5(1):57-70.
81. · Gross DB, Souleles NS. QJE 2002;117(1):149-185.
82. · Guvenen F, Karahan F, Ozkan S, Song J. Econometrica 2021;89(5):2303-2339. BLS CPS panel.
83. · Himmelstein et al. 2009 PMID 19501347; EBRI HSA Database.
84. · Himmelstein et al. 2009; EBRI HSA Database.
85. · HUD 24 CFR § 5.603 Cost Burden Definition; JCHS Harvard State of the Nation's Housing annual.
86. · IRA 2022; IRS Form 5695.
87. · IRC §199A; IRS Form 8995/8995-A.
88. · IRC §21; IRS Form 2441.
89. · IRC §280A(g); tax-planning practitioner literature.
90. · IRC §32; IRS Schedule EIC.
91. · IRC §41; IRS Form 6765.
92. · IRC §6654; IRS Pub 505.
93. · IRS Form 1040-ES; Pub 505.
94. · IRS Pub 17; CFP Board Practice Standards on tax-rate gap analysis.
95. · IRS Pub 17; late-filing penalty IRC §6651.
96. · IRS Pub 17; TCJA 2017 SALT cap ($10K).
97. · IRS Pub 17; TCJA 2017 standard deduction provisions.
98. · IRS Pub 17.
99. · IRS Pub 505; W-4 form instructions.
100. · IRS Pub 526; Fidelity Charitable Giving Report.
101. · IRS Pub 526.
102. · IRS Pub 560.
103. · IRS Pub 587.
104. · IRS Pub 590-A.
105. · IRS Pub 590-B QCD; SECURE 2.0 Act provisions.
106. · IRS Pub 936.
107. · IRS Pub 969.
108. · IRS Publication 560 Retirement Plans for Small Business.
109. · IRS taxpayer-services compliance data.
110. · Jaconetti CM, Kinniry FM Jr., Zilbering Y. Vanguard Best practices for portfolio rebalancing 2010/2015.
111. · Jaconetti et al. 2010 Vanguard.
112. · Lemieux T, MacLeod WB, Parent D. QJE 2009;124(1):1-49.
113. · Locke EA, Latham GP. Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. Am Psychologist 2002;57(9):705-717. Written + specific + time-bound goals predict behavior change.
114. · Lusardi A, Mitchell OS. Baby boomer retirement security: planning, financial literacy, and housing wealth. J Monetary Economics 2007;54(1):205-224.
115. · Lusardi A, Mitchell OS. Financial literacy and retirement planning in the United States. J Pension Economics & Finance 2011;10(4):509-525. Validated 12+ countries (OECD INFE, S&P Global FinLit).
116. · Lusardi, Schneider & Tufano 2011 Brookings Papers Spring 2011.
117. · Madrian & Shea 2001 QJE 116(4):1149-1187; Vanguard How America Saves annual; IRS Notice annual 401k limits.
118. · Madrian BC, Shea DF. QJE 2001;116(4):1149-1187; Choi et al. 2004 Tax Policy & Economy 18:67-113.
119. · Madrian BC, Shea DF. QJE 2001;116(4):1149-1187.
120. · Markowitz HM. J Finance 1952;7(1):77-91; Goetzmann & Kumar 2008 Review of Finance 12(3):433-463.
121. · Melzer BT. QJE 2011;126(1):517-555. CFPB Consumer CC Market Report biennial.
122. · Meulbroek L. Financial Management 2005;34(2):5-30.
123. · PBGC defined-benefit-plan disclosure standards; ERISA Title I.
124. · Prawitz AD, Garman ET, Sorhaindo B, O'Neill B, Kim J, Drentea P. InCharge Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being Scale. J Financial Counseling and Planning 2006;17(1):34-50. α=0.96.
125. · Reichenstein W. J Wealth Management 2006;9(1):11-17; Reichenstein, Horan & Jennings 2012 FAJ 68(1):14-22.
126. · S&P DJI SPIVA U.S. Scorecard semi-annual.
127. · Saez E, Zucman G. QJE 2016;131(2):519-578.
128. · SCF private-business; Cagetti M, De Nardi M. JPE 2006;114(5):835-870.
129. · Schwab Charitable; Vanguard Charitable; tax-planning practitioner literature.
130. · SEC Reg S-K Item 402; Meulbroek L. Financial Management 2005;34(2):5-30.
131. · Sexton SE. AER 2015;105(11):3438-3455.
132. · Social Security Administration AWI/PIA methodology; 42 USC §415; Title II of the Social Security Act.
133. · State revenue dept publications; Tax Foundation 2025.
134. · State revenue dept publications.
135. · State revenue dept; College Savings Plans Network.
136. · Statman M. Financial Analysts Journal 1987;43(4):353-363.
137. · Tang N, Baker A. Self-esteem, financial knowledge and financial behavior. J Behavioral Decision Making 2016;29(4):393-405. Goal-progress feedback drives behavior change beyond goal-setting alone.
138. · Tax Foundation; IRS Pub 17.
139. · Van Rooij M, Lusardi A, Alessie R. Financial literacy and stock market participation. J Financial Economics 2011;101(2):449-472. Self-assessed literacy partial predictor of equity participation.
140. · Vanguard How America Saves 2024.
141. · Vanguard Kinniry et al. 2014/2019 Putting a value on your value: Advisor's Alpha.
142. · VantageScore 4.0 Methodology.
Time

Where your hours actually go.
How you spend your days across work, sleep, movement, rest, and the people you love. How much say you have over your own schedule, how rushed or free you feel, and how many hours you actually reclaim for yourself. Time is the one thing you can't earn back.

◆ Weighed against research on the time-use patterns that support a long, healthy, happy life.
The science · 35 studies cited
1. · Bannai 2014 + Virtanen 2018. Weekend work proxy for recovery deficit.
2. · Bannai A, Tamakoshi A. PMID 24100465. ↗
3. · BLS ATUS leisure category; Goodin 2008.
4. · BLS ATUS subcategorization; Kim J PMID 30142182. ↗
5. · BLS ATUS; Killingsworth & Gilbert 2010 PMID 21071660. ↗
6. · Cohen PSS time items + Killingsworth 2010 + Hamermesh 2007.
7. · Cohen S, Williamson G 1988; Cohen S et al. PSS PMID 6668417. ↗
8. · Csikszentmihalyi 1990; Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi 2002; inverse Killingsworth 2010 PMID 21071660. ↗
9. · Goodin 2008 + Whillans 2017 PMID 28739889. ↗
10. · Goodin RE, Rice JM, Parpo A, Eriksson L. Discretionary Time. Cambridge UP 2008.
11. · Goodin RE. Discretionary Time. Cambridge UP 2008; Vickery C 1977.
12. · Goodin RE. Discretionary Time. Cambridge UP 2008.
13. · Gump & Matthews 2000 — recovery episodes ≥5d most beneficial. ↗
14. · Gump BB, Matthews KA. Psychosomatic Med 2000. PMID 11020093 — MRFIT 9-year follow-up. ↗
15. · Hart SG, Staveland LE. Development of NASA-TLX. Human Mental Workload 1988;52:139-183; Hart SG. NASA-TLX 20 Years Later. HFES 2006.
16. · Hirshkowitz M et al. PMID 26429493; Cappuccio FP et al. PMID 20469800. ↗
17. · Hofmann W, Vohs KD, Baumeister RF. Psychological Science 2012;23(6):582-588. PMID 22730527. ↗
18. · Holt-Lunstad J et al. PLoS Med 2010. PMID 20668659. ↗
19. · Killingsworth & Gilbert 2010 PMID 21071660; Bench & Lench Function of Boredom 2013. ↗
20. · Killingsworth MA, Gilbert DT. Science 2010 PMID 21071660; Hamermesh & Lee 2007. ↗
21. · Kivimäki M et al. Lancet 2015;386(10005):1739-1746. PMID 26298822. ↗
22. · Mark G, Iqbal ST, Czerwinski M, Johns P. ACM CHI 2008 — 'No Task Left Behind?'
23. · Sandow E. Urban Studies 2014; Hansson E et al. BMC Public Health 2011 PMID 22039916. ↗
24. · Schwartz B, Ward A, Monterosso J, Lyubomirsky S, White K, Lehman DR. J Pers Soc Psychol 2002;83(5):1178-1197. PMID 12416914. ↗
25. · Virtanen M et al. Scand J Work Environ Health 2018. PMID 29423526. ↗
26. · Wang Y et al. Lancet Public Health 2019. PMID 31402608. ↗
27. · Watson NF et al. PMID 26039963 — AASM/SRS joint consensus. ↗
28. · Whillans 2017 item-level + Cohen 1983 PSS control items (4, 5, 7, 8).
29. · Whillans 2017 PMID 28739889; Whillans & Dunn 2019 companion scale α 0.81. ↗
30. · Whillans 2017 related items (Grade B — derived from instrument family, not canonical 5-item core).
31. · Whillans AV et al. PMID 28739889 — buying-time threshold. ↗
32. · Whillans AV et al. PNAS 2017 PMID 28739889 — n≈4,500 across 5 samples, α 0.86-0.89, predictive r 0.42 vs SWLS. ↗
33. · Whillans AV et al. PNAS 2017 PMID 28739889 (TAS calibration design); Whillans & Dunn 2019 (TAS validation); Killingsworth & Gilbert 2010 PMID 21071660 (mind-wandering anchoring); Ryan & Deci 2000 (autonomy-supportive systems theoretical frame). ↗
34. · Whillans AV et al. PNAS 2017 PMID 28739889 + Hamermesh & Lee 2007. ↗
35. · Wong PM et al. PMID 26106724. ↗

Help calibrate the xlife score

Credentialed experts review signals, weights, and blind spots so the score stays balanced as evidence changes

Not one opinion

Evidence-backed

Consensus-reviewed

Bias-checked

The five pillars

Help calibrate the xlife score