This study contributes to the literature by enhancing the understanding of the effects of social comparison orientation on financial well-being and by demonstrating the mediating role of hope in that relationship. The study sheds light on the potential positive effects of social comparison orientation on one’s financial well-being and provides insight into the conditions under which such effects can occur. Specifically, the findings suggest that hope, as agency and pathways, plays a critical role in mitigating the negative effects of social comparison orientation on financial well-being, bridging the social comparison theory and hope theory in the context of financial well-being.