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Full-Text Articles in Social Work
The State Of State Eitcs: An Overview And Their Implications For Low- And Moderate-Income Households, Genevieve Davison, Stephen P. Roll, Samuel H. Taylor, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
The State Of State Eitcs: An Overview And Their Implications For Low- And Moderate-Income Households, Genevieve Davison, Stephen P. Roll, Samuel H. Taylor, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
The success of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has prompted numerous states to develop and administer their own EITC programs. This brief presents the results of analyses that used data from a large sample of low- and moderate-income households to learn more about the relationship between state and federal EITCs as well as about their relationships, respective and combined, with financial behaviors and the experience of financial and material hardship. Given that many EITC beneficiaries face substantial risk of experiencing income volatility and financial shocks, insights gained from this brief can assist policymakers in understanding the importance of …
The Experience Of Volatility In Low- And Moderate-Income Households: Results From A National Survey, Stephen P. Roll, David S. Mitchell, Sam Bufe, Gracie Lynne, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
The Experience Of Volatility In Low- And Moderate-Income Households: Results From A National Survey, Stephen P. Roll, David S. Mitchell, Sam Bufe, Gracie Lynne, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
This is the first in a series of briefs that the Center for Social Development has produced in partnership with the Aspen Institute’s Expanding Prosperity Impact Collaborative (EPIC) and the Intuit Tax and Financial Center. It highlights new data on the prevalence of income and expense volatility in low- and moderate-income households.
Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project: Comprehensive Report Of Findings, Ellen Frank-Miller, Meredith Covington, Mathieu R. Despard, Geraldine Hannon, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project: Comprehensive Report Of Findings, Ellen Frank-Miller, Meredith Covington, Mathieu R. Despard, Geraldine Hannon, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
Using insights from employers and employees to generate evidence on employee financial wellness programs (EFWPs), this research report illustrates findings from a mixed-methods study assessing the potential of these programs to increase the financial stability of American workers. The research team surveyed employers that offered or were interested in offering an EFWP and subsequently conducted in-depth interviews with a subsample of those employers to acquire a greater understanding of survey responses. Further, the research team conducted intensive case studies, examining the relationship between EFWP providers and their clients as well as the dynamics of program delivery. These case studies benefitted …
Employee Financial Wellness Programs: A Review Of The Literature And Directions For Future Research, Geraldine Hannon, Meredith Covington, Mat Despard, Ellen Frank-Miller, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Employee Financial Wellness Programs: A Review Of The Literature And Directions For Future Research, Geraldine Hannon, Meredith Covington, Mat Despard, Ellen Frank-Miller, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
This is a literature review of studies that have examined the implementation of financial wellness programs in the workplace. The review suggests that employee financial wellness programs (EFWPs) have drawn on both existing and new methods to improve the financial security of employees. Although a number of studies have been conducted on employer-based financial education and retirement planning, evidence concerning the efficacy of EFWPs is limited. Moreover, the methodological shortcomings of studies in the workplace financial wellness field have limited evidence concerning returns on investment and impeded efforts to make best-practice recommendations. Thus, researchers should consider strengthening the evidence base …
Assessing Retirement Needs And Interest In Myra: Findings From The Refund To Savings Initiative, Stephen P. Roll, Jane E. Oliphant, Dana C. Perantie, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Genevieve Davison
Assessing Retirement Needs And Interest In Myra: Findings From The Refund To Savings Initiative, Stephen P. Roll, Jane E. Oliphant, Dana C. Perantie, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Genevieve Davison
Center for Social Development Research
As part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s ongoing effort to promote the myRA starter retirement account, we used the Refund to Savings Initiative’s Household Financial Survey to assess low- to moderate-income tax filers’ retirement needs, attitudes towards retirement, and interest in a myRA-type account. We also tested different messaging approaches for promoting myRA. The report found that 32% of survey respondents did not own a retirement account and that lack of money and lack of access to an employer-based account were major impediments to retirement account ownership. The report also found that only 10% to 15% of respondents …
Coping With A Crisis: Financial Resources Available To Low- And Moderate-Income Households In Emergencies, Dana C. Perantie, Stephen P. Roll, Jane E. Oliphant, Shenyang Guo, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Coping With A Crisis: Financial Resources Available To Low- And Moderate-Income Households In Emergencies, Dana C. Perantie, Stephen P. Roll, Jane E. Oliphant, Shenyang Guo, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
Using data from tax records and a longitudinal survey, this brief investigates the choices low- and moderate-income households make about their tax withholding and their preferences for withholding. The relationship between withholding preferences and the use of the tax refund, measures of material hardship, and the use of alternative financial services is also explored. We find that almost half of all survey respondents preferred to overwithhold their income each year in order to get a larger tax refund. Yet despite preferring to take home less income during the year, these households experienced higher levels of material hardship than those who …
Home Delinquency Rates Are Lower Among Aca Marketplace Households: Evidence From A Natural Experiment, Emily A. Gallagher, Radhakrishnan Gopalon, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Stephen P. Roll, Genevieve Davison
Home Delinquency Rates Are Lower Among Aca Marketplace Households: Evidence From A Natural Experiment, Emily A. Gallagher, Radhakrishnan Gopalon, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Stephen P. Roll, Genevieve Davison
Center for Social Development Research
This brief uses administrative income tax data coupled with survey responses from roughly 5,000 households living near the poverty line to estimate how access to the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance Marketplaces have affected households’ experiences of extreme illiquidity, which is measured by delinquencies on home payments. To estimate this relationship, we exploit a natural experiment underway in states that did not expand Medicaid and created by the eligibility rules for Marketplace subsidies. Results suggest that insured households living near the poverty line are better able to make timely rent and mortgage payments compared with similar, uninsured households. Given housing …
Financial Anxiety In Low- And Moderate-Income Households: Findings From The Household Financial Survey, Stephen P. Roll, Samuel H. Taylor, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Financial Anxiety In Low- And Moderate-Income Households: Findings From The Household Financial Survey, Stephen P. Roll, Samuel H. Taylor, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
Despite significant gains in the U.S. economy following the Great Recession, finances remain a common source of stress for many American households. In 2016, 52% of U.S. workers reported that their financial position made them stressed, and research reveals that stress and anxiety associated with finances are particularly common among low-income Americans. In this brief, we explore the topic of financial anxiety, particularly its relationship to demographic and financial characteristics, measures of hardship, and financial behaviors. We find that financial anxiety is strongly linked to the overall levels of debt and assets held by low-income households, as well as their …
The Role Of Health Insurance In The Financial Lives Of Low- And Moderate-Income Households, Mathieu R. Despard, Dana C. Perantie, Jane E. Oliphant, Stephen P. Roll, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
The Role Of Health Insurance In The Financial Lives Of Low- And Moderate-Income Households, Mathieu R. Despard, Dana C. Perantie, Jane E. Oliphant, Stephen P. Roll, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
Health insurance is an important resource for enabling access to and use of medical care, and is associated with reduced risk for mortality and poor health outcomes. Health insurance also protects households from incurring major medical expenses and unmanageable levels of medical debt. About a quarter of a sample of low- and moderate-income (LMI) tax filers have no health insurance, compared to 10% of all individuals in the United States. As of 2014, the proportion of filers without insurance was 11 percentage points higher in states that had not expanded Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) than it was …
The Burden Of Student Debt: Findings From A Survey Of Low- And Moderate-Income Households, Mathieu R. Despard, Samuel H. Taylor, Dana C. Perantie, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
The Burden Of Student Debt: Findings From A Survey Of Low- And Moderate-Income Households, Mathieu R. Despard, Samuel H. Taylor, Dana C. Perantie, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
Completing a college degree continues to offer a pathway for enjoying greater earnings. Yet tuition has risen sharply and state higher-education funding has declined in recent years, shifting the burden of paying for college to students and their families. As a result, most students (70%) depend on loans to help pay for college and student debt is now greater than credit card debt in the United States. Student debt is increasingly difficult to manage, as debt-to-income ratios, loan default rates, and delinquency rates are on the rise. This brief utilizes data from the 2014 Refund to Savings study to examine …
Characteristics And Hardships Associated With Bank Account Ownership Among Refund To Savings Participants, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Dana C. Perantie, Jane E. Oliphant, Anna Deruyter, Mathieu R. Despard
Characteristics And Hardships Associated With Bank Account Ownership Among Refund To Savings Participants, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Dana C. Perantie, Jane E. Oliphant, Anna Deruyter, Mathieu R. Despard
Center for Social Development Research
Having a bank account is one important way for households to securely accumulate savings, build credit, and earn interest on assets. Nationally, 7.7% of households are unbanked—lacking both a checking and a savings account. One proposed step toward financial inclusion is to encourage unbanked households to open accounts and deposit refunds into savings at tax time, when many low-income households receive the year’s largest lump sum of cash. This brief utilizes data from the 2013 Refund to Savings study to summarize differences between banked and unbanked households. The findings show that unbanked status is a marker for other financial disadvantages, …
Support For A Tax-Time Savings Policy: Interest In Deferring Tax Refunds With Matched Incentives, Dana C. Perantie, Jane E. Oliphant, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Support For A Tax-Time Savings Policy: Interest In Deferring Tax Refunds With Matched Incentives, Dana C. Perantie, Jane E. Oliphant, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
Support for a Tax-Time Savings Policy: Interest in Deferring Tax Refunds With Matched Incentives
Do Eitc Recipients Use Their Tax Refunds To Get Ahead? Evidence From The Refund To Savings Initiative, Mathieu R. Despard, Dana C. Parantie, Jane Oliphant, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Do Eitc Recipients Use Their Tax Refunds To Get Ahead? Evidence From The Refund To Savings Initiative, Mathieu R. Despard, Dana C. Parantie, Jane Oliphant, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
Many U.S. households lack savings for unexpected expenses and financial shocks, but tax refunds and the Earned Income Tax Credit offer opportunities to set aside resources for use in emergencies. Understanding what EITC recipients do with their tax refunds is important for guiding federal policy to promote financial stability. This brief summarizes findings on the use of tax refunds by EITC recipients in the Refund to Savings (R2S) initiative. It also examines the use of financial services for saving refunds and the financial shocks experienced by EITC recipients during the 6 months after tax filing.
Does Unsecured Debt Decrease Savings? Evidence From The Refund To Savings Initiative, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Jane Oliphant, Blair D. Russell, Ray Boshara
Does Unsecured Debt Decrease Savings? Evidence From The Refund To Savings Initiative, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Jane Oliphant, Blair D. Russell, Ray Boshara
Center for Social Development Research
Does Unsecured Debt Decrease Savings? Evidence From the Refund to Savings Initiative