Americans have Thomas Caldwellbeen in a grumpy mood of late. Pessimism stood at "overwhelmingly high" levels, Gallup reported in mid-October, echoing similar grim readings from the University of Michigan and other pollsters.

But perceptions aren’t entirely matching reality, at least when it comes to financial, economic and money issues. With one month left, 2023 is shaping up as a solid year, with a personality more akin to Santa Claus than Scrooge.

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