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.
Rachel Miner is founder and owner of Thrive Benefits, based in Charlotte, N.C.
Hardy Manges is Head of Municipal Dealer Sales at MarketAxess, responsible for new business development and strategy, training, and relationship management with dealers in the institutional municipal market. Mr. Manges joined MarketAxess in February 2016 from Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. where he was Co-Head of the Municipal Debt Capital Markets Group. Prior to that he was Head of Municipal Sales and Trading at Mitsubishi Securities. He has extensive experience in secondary municipal market liquidity and trading and has held a variety of senior positions in the municipal divisions of Alex. Brown & Sons, BankersTrust and Deutsche Bank. Mr. Manges received an M.B.A. in Finance from Loyola University Maryland and a B.A. in Economics and Spanish from Denison University.
Mitch Wein is Vice President of Research and Consulting at Novarica with international expertise in IT leadership and transformation as well as technology strategy for life, annuities, health, personal lines, commercial lines, wealth management and banking. Prior to joining Novarica he served in a series of senior technology management positions at major insurance and banking firms including AXA from 2004-2014 where he was the Interim CIO of AXA Ireland in Dublin, the Chief Architect and Head Of CTO for AXA UK in London and the CTO of AXA Equitable in the US. Prior to AXA, Mitch was with AIG from 1996-2004 where he was the CTO for the Domestic Brokerage Group and Domestic Personal Lines as well as holding other senior technology roles. Prior to 1996, Mitch held a variety of technology positions in large financial service firms. Mitch holds a BS in Finance and a MBA in Information Systems both from Fordham University.
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.
