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.
Alexander D. Weidner, CPA, CFE, is president at Rudler PSC, an independent accounting firm in the Greater Cincinnati area. Weidner is focused on strengthening Rudler's unique culture and evolving the firm to provide more value to clients. He started as an intern in 2007 and worked his way up to shareholder. He played an integral role in developing Rudler's Client Advisory Services department, which aims to create more value added services for clients. He likes to focus on nonprofits, closely held businesses and high-net worth individuals, and leverages his Certified Fraud Examiner designation to assist clients with fraud investigations and designing controls to reduce risk of fraud.
Ken Eyler is CEO of Aquilance (formerly My Accountant), which advises multi- and single-family offices and select business enterprises.
Previously, he spent more than a decade in a senior executive role and member of Arthur Bell, an international CPA and advisory firm focused exclusively on high net worth families and alternative investment vehicles. He serves on the boards of Argonne Trust Company and Sustainability Angels, a nonprofit focusing on environmental stewardship and luxury recycling.
Jennifer Harrity-Cantero, SEA, brings more than 20 years of business and marketing experience to her role as the leader for the Sensiba Center for Sustainability at Sensiba LLP. She leads the firm's core sustainability efforts as well as consults with small to medium size business clients assisting with their sustainability strategy. She led the firm's B Corporation certification process, resulting in SSF becoming the first California accounting firm certified as a B Corporation. In 2020, she launched the firm's Sensiba Center for Sustainability, to help companies move to a purpose-driven, sustainable business model that includes social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Harrity-Cantero hosts the Rebooting Capitalism podcast that digs into why traditional capitalism is broken and what people are doing to fix it. She also as honored in 2021 by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Businesses. She received a dual bachelor's degree in graphic design and photography from California State University, East Bay. She also holds a diversity and inclusion certificate from Cornell University. She has been a member of the Association for Accounting Marketing for the past 10 years and has served on the board for the past several years. Outside of work, she enjoys CrossFit, kayaking, and spending time in the redwoods.
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.
