The Association Between Financial and Overall Well-Being

Faculty Sponsor: Maryam Gooyabadi

Live Poster Session: Zoom Link Passcode: 0NE4Q9

Daniel Lurie

Daniel Lurie is a student-athlete enrolled at Wesleyan University and is currently in the class of 2026. He is pursuing a major in Economics and a minor in Data Science. Previously, Daniel attended Westminster School (Class of 2022) and hails from the town of Lexington, MA. At Wesleyan, he is a member of the men’s ice hockey team.

Abstract: At its core, financial well-being refers to a person’s sense of financial security and ability to meet their financial obligations without undue stress. However, many Americans struggle with financial obligations, including debt, underemployment, and limited savings. While a unanimous definition of well-being is not concretely defined, it is widely accepted that well-being encompasses certain elements such as experiencing positive emotions and moods, contentment with one’s life, a sense of fulfillment, and positive functioning. The data used in this study was collected from the National Financial Well-Being survey, done via the web from October 27, 2016, to December 5, 2016. The sample design aimed to proportionally represent the US population based on age, race/ethnicity, and household income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). A total of 14,402 panelists were chosen for the study. In addition to examining individual and household traits, such as income, employment, savings, and safety nets, the survey also evaluates financial experiences, behaviors, skills, and attitudes that are believed to impact the financial well-being of adults. Given this idea, the hypothesis being evaluated is that individuals scoring higher on the financial well-being scale will show higher general well-being indicators. Conversely, individuals that score lower on the financial well-being scale will show lower indicators of overall well-being. The present study found an association between financial and overall well-being.

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