New Insights into Improving Financial Well-being

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The Wharton School::Wharton Pension Research Council::Wharton Pension Research Council Working Papers
Degree type
Discipline
Economics
Subject
Financial wellbeing
Financial wellness
Financial efficacy
Financial behaviors
Financial circumstances
Financial literacy
Financial knowledge
Numeracy
Cognitive ability
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Copyright date
2024-04-01
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Author
Coats, Jennifer
Contributor
Bajtelsmit, Vickie
Abstract

Financial well-being (FWB) is often measured using the CFPB’s Financial Well-Being Scale, but there are many alternative ways to assess this concept, including individual perceptions of FWB (e.g., financial satisfaction or stress), objective outcomes that are indicative of FWB (e.g., net wealth and retirement adequacy), and behaviors that influence FWB (e.g., planning, saving, and budgeting). Improving FWB requires a nuanced understanding of factors contributing to these measures. We present results of an analysis designed to investigate the drivers through which individuals attain FWB across its different dimensions. Individual discount rates, risk preferences, and financial self-confidence consistently contribute to different indicators of FWB. In particular, we find significant evidence that both the discount rate and self-confidence in financial decision-making have strong impacts on the dimensions of FWB. Financial literacy has an important moderating role in relation to these two drivers and to income. Personality traits, such as conscientiousness and neuroticism are influential in alternative ways across models.

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PRC WP2024-08
Publication date
2024-04-01
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Comments
The project described received funding from the TIAA Institute and Wharton School’s Pension Research Council/Boettner Center. The content is solely the responsibility of the author(s) and does not necessarily represent the official views of the TIAA Institute or Wharton School’s Pension Research Council/Boettner Center.
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