Financial satisfaction of people in the U.S. rebounded strongly in the third quarter of the year, according to a new survey by the American Institute of CPAs, reversing the lows in the second quarter in the midst of the recession brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The AICPA’s Q3 2020 Personal Financial Satisfaction Index measured 33.1, representing a whopping 99 percent (16.5 point) increase from the previous quarter. That’s the biggest quarterly increase in the 27-year history of the PFSi, and a complete turnaround from the second quarter, when the index had its largest ever quarterly drop.
Dheeraj Remella is the chief technologist at VoltDB responsible for technical OEM partnerships and enabling customers to take their next step in data driven decision making. He brings 22 years of experience in creating Enterprise solutions in a variety of industries. Dheeraj is a strong believer in cross pollination of ideas and innovation between industries and technologies. Dheeraj holds a bachelors degree in computer engineering from Madras University.
In his role as chief strategy officer, Chris Huff develops and drives the company’s strategic initiatives to become the premier provider of cognitive automation, ensuring better alignment and execution across all functional areas. A thought-leader and recognized expert in the field, Chris was most recently with Deloitte Consulting’s U.S. Public Sector Robotics and Cognitive Automation practice which he led during RPA’s emergence. He previously spent two decades in senior financial management roles at several federal government agencies. Chris earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Columbia College and holds a Master’s in business administration from Webster University.
Chris Bays is strategic product manager for PerfectServe to develop the company’s healthcare IT solutions in response to rapidly growing market needs in secure messaging and clinical communication.
The PFSi is built around various factors, including the labor market. The gains can be mainly attributed to improvements in job openings per capita and underemployment. Those had the biggest impact on increasing the overall PFSi. The biggest factor driving the quarter-over-quarter rally was a 35 percent (37 point) decrease in underemployment. A decrease in underemployment improves overall financial satisfaction in the index. While there was an improvement in underemployment in the third quarter from Q2’s record high, it’s still 117 percent above its level a year ago. For the second consecutive quarter, underemployment is still the biggest negative contributor to the average American’s personal financial satisfaction. The Q3 underemployment level reflects data measured through the middle of September.
“As Americans continue to navigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to remember that the fundamentals of financial planning haven’t changed,” said AICPA PFS Credential Committee chair Dave Stolz in a statement Thursday. “Though the stock market’s record performance is encouraging, 2020 has served as a reminder of the volatile nature of markets. As the impact of COVID-19 continues to play out across the country, investors should weigh their risk tolerance and ensure they have ample cash on hand. Further, a tax-efficient financial plan that includes a diversified portfolio can give confidence that long-term financial goals will remain within reach through this period of extreme uncertainty.”
The coronavirus put millions out of work, prompting job openings per capita to show a record plummet earlier this year. In the third quarter, job openings started to recover, climbing 37 percent (20 points) compared to Q2. That factor is now only 10 percent below its measurement a year ago before the pandemic. The Q3 index comes from July data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
