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.
Deb is responsible for all aspects of the firm's human resources strategy, including talent management, leadership development and compensation, benefits, and company culture, including environmental, social and governance activities. She works closely with leadership around the globe to build a culture that attracts, retains and develops top talent.
Madhura Chakrabarti leads the People Analytics and Employee Engagement research practices at Bersin by Deloitte. Previous to joining Bersin by Deloitte, Madhura worked for Dell Technologies, where she led the annual global engagement survey for 110,000 employees; culture assessments for mergers and acquisitions; and several people analytics studies. Subsequently, she also served as the Organizational Development (OD) Strategist for Global Operations and Client Solutions, the largest business unit where she led and supported multiple talent management initiatives for the business. Prior to Dell, Madhura worked for Ford Motor Company and Aon Hewitt where her work focused on design and statistical validation of pre-employment assessments used for hiring.
Jonathan Drew is associate director of legal services at Seal Software. Jonathan has spent the bulk of his career working with technology-focused startups, helping companies develop marketing and product strategies to support new product introductions and entry into new markets. At Seal, Jonathan supports Seal’s efforts in risk and regulation, exploring the various ways Seal’s platform can be leveraged to solve business and regulatory challenges.
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.
