Just having a professional to discuss your financial life with can help ease your fears of a recession, according to a recent survey by the CFP Board and Morning Consult.
In a survey of 3,396 U.S. adults, 55% said it is very or somewhat likely that the nation will face an economic recession sometime in the next 12 months. Overall, 63% said they are concerned about the possibility of an economic recession in the U.S.
Three-quarters of the respondents, 76%, said a recession would impact their household, with one-third saying it would have a major impact. Only 43% said they were prepared for the onset of a recession within the next 12 months, with 11% saying they would feel very prepared.
But among the respondents working with a financial advisor, 67% felt prepared for a recession. More than three-quarters of them, 77%, said they felt confident that their advisor could manage their finances through a recession.
Additionally, 65% of the respondents working with an advisor felt more prepared for a recession now than they did in 2008, compared with 44% of the overall respondents.
Working with a financial advisor made respondents more likely to feel optimistic about their personal or household finances, according to the survey. While 59% overall were optimistic about their finances, 78% of those working with an advisor felt that way.
Respondents working with an advisor were also more likely to believe that the U.S. economy is growing and feel optimistic about the future of the economy, according to the survey. However, those working with an advisor were also slightly more likely to predict the onset of a recession in the next 12 months.
The survey also found that women felt more concerned about a recession and less prepared for one than men, and that homeowners felt better prepared for a recession than non-homeowners.
Only 15% of the respondents reported having completed a financial plan with an advisor within the past two years. Among those working with an advisor, 55% said that they had completed a plan within the last two years.
The survey was conducted in September.