A Person-Centered Perspective on Financial Well-Being
摘要
This study sought to identify the different configurations, or profiles, of financial well-being (FWB) observed among a large sample (n = 2235) of French-Canadian adults, and to examine the generalizability of these profiles across subsamples of adults who do or do not engage in financial budgeting practices. We also assessed how these profiles related to a series of personal and financial predictors (sex, income, savings, perceived financial efficacy, neuroticism, and financial knowledge), as well as to psychological health outcomes (life satisfaction, perceived stress, psychological distress). Latent profile analyses (LPA) revealed five FWB profiles that were largely replicated across budgeting and non-budgeting participants, although some variations in their relative frequency of occurrence. The largest profile corresponded to 77% (no budgeting) to 80% (budgeting) of the sample and reflected normative levels of FWB (characterized as satisfactory, slightly above average). In contrast, the remaining profiles exhibited low to very low global levels of FWB, each marked by specific areas of strengths and weaknesses. Perceived financial efficacy, savings, and emotional stability were consistently associated with a higher likelihood of membership into the most favorable normative profile compared to all other profiles. Conversely, the two profiles with the lowest global levels of FWB were associated with more detrimental outcomes. These findings underscore the central role of perceived financial efficacy and savings in shaping FWB profiles, suggesting that interventions aimed at enhancing financial efficacy, such as through enactive mastery experiences, may benefit from a targeted focus on income management and savings.