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Full-Text Articles in Social Work
Policy Recommendations For Helping U.S. Households Build Emergency Savings, Mathieu R. Despard, Terri Friedline, Julie Birkenmaier
Policy Recommendations For Helping U.S. Households Build Emergency Savings, Mathieu R. Despard, Terri Friedline, Julie Birkenmaier
Center for Social Development Research
In households without emergency savings, an unexpected expense or financial shock can heighten stress and threaten the ability to meet basic needs. This brief, released through the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative’s network toBuild Financial Capability for All, identifies three types of policies to enable U.S. households to save for emergencies.
A Toolkit For Expanding Financial Capability At Tax Time, Genevieve Davison, Merideth Covington, Olga Kondratjeva, Stephen P. Roll, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
A Toolkit For Expanding Financial Capability At Tax Time, Genevieve Davison, Merideth Covington, Olga Kondratjeva, Stephen P. Roll, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
This work expands upon The Volunteer Income Tax Preparer’s Toolkit: Showing Clients Why Tax Time is the Right Time to Save, a 2015 Toolkit by the Center for Social Development. This new offering presents the current evidence underpinning various tax-time efforts to expand financial capability among low- and moderate-income households. It includes sections on creating a VITA program and on several financial-capability products and services that organizations can offer alongside free tax-preparation services. The evidence comes from a variety of sources, but we highlight findings from research conducted by CSD, particularly that conducted as part of the Refund to Savings …
Faculty Perspectives On Financial Capability And Asset Building In Social Work Education: A Research Report, Margaret S. Sherraden, Jin Huang, Lissa Johnson, Peter Dore, Julie Birkenmaier, Vernon Loke, Sally Hageman
Faculty Perspectives On Financial Capability And Asset Building In Social Work Education: A Research Report, Margaret S. Sherraden, Jin Huang, Lissa Johnson, Peter Dore, Julie Birkenmaier, Vernon Loke, Sally Hageman
Center for Social Development Research
This report is based on a study conducted in collaboration with the Council on Social Work Education. The report presents findings from a national online survey of social work faculty. Results identify financial and economic (F&E) content taught in the current curriculum, gaps in coverage, and strategies for improving the academic preparation of social workers in these areas. Findings will inform financial capability and asset-building curriculum and improve the academic preparation of social workers.
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 Role Of Choice Architecture In Promoting Saving At Tax Time: Evidence From A Large-Scale Field Experiment, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Cynthia Cryder, Mathieu R. Despard, Dana C. Perantie, Jane E. Oliphant, Dan Ariely
The Role Of Choice Architecture In Promoting Saving At Tax Time: Evidence From A Large-Scale Field Experiment, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Cynthia Cryder, Mathieu R. Despard, Dana C. Perantie, Jane E. Oliphant, Dan Ariely
Center for Social Development Research
This paper presents the findings of a large-scale field experiment (N = 646,16) from the Refund to Savings Initiative. The experiment tested a choice architecture and persuasive messaging intervention that increased saving among low-moderate income (LMI) consumers by approximately 50% during tax refund time. Two follow-up experiments parsed components of the intervention. The first follow-up experiment (N = 569) tested the messaging and choice architecture interventions separately, finding that each can increase savings. a final follow-up experiment (N = 554) tested individual elements of the choice architecture intervention, demonstrating that mere mention of savings within choice options was not sufficient …
Annual Report On The Head Start Family Financial Capability Program: 2015–2016, Jami Curley, Anne S. Robertson
Annual Report On The Head Start Family Financial Capability Program: 2015–2016, Jami Curley, Anne S. Robertson
Center for Social Development Research
This report presents results from a mixed-methods evaluation of the third year of implementation of a financial-capability program with Head Start families in the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area: The Head Start Family Financial Capability (HSFFC) Program. The program combined savings incentives, budget and credit counseling, and one-on-one coaching with 10 hours of financial education on debt management, banking, budgeting, saving, and credit. The results reported here come from analyses of data on 339 adult program participants from Head Start families, 107 Head Start staff who participated in the program, and administrators and staff implementing the program at Head Start …
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 …
Asset Building: Toward Inclusive Policy, Michael Sherraden, Lissa Johnson, Margaret Clancy, Sondra G. Beverly, Margaret S. Sherraden, Mark Schreiner, William Elliott Iii, Trina Shanks William, Deborah Adams, Jami C. Curley, Jin Huang, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Yunju Nam, Min Zhan, Chang-Kuen Han
Asset Building: Toward Inclusive Policy, Michael Sherraden, Lissa Johnson, Margaret Clancy, Sondra G. Beverly, Margaret S. Sherraden, Mark Schreiner, William Elliott Iii, Trina Shanks William, Deborah Adams, Jami C. Curley, Jin Huang, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Yunju Nam, Min Zhan, Chang-Kuen Han
Center for Social Development Research
This Working Paper has been submitted for inclusion in theEncyclopedia of Social Work's new online edition, which is published by Oxford University Press. Since 1991, a new policy discussion has arisen in the United States and other countries, focusing on building assets as a complement to traditional social policy based on income. In fact, asset-based policy already existed (and still exists) in the United States, with large public subsidies. But the policy is regressive, benefiting the rich far more than the poor. The goal should be a universal, progressive, and lifelong asset-based policy. One promising pathway may be Child Development …
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 …
Leveraging Tax Time To Build Financial Capability: Research Evidence And Policy Directions, Meredith Covington, Jane E. Oliphant, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Leveraging Tax Time To Build Financial Capability: Research Evidence And Policy Directions, Meredith Covington, Jane E. Oliphant, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
Over the past decade, a variety of initiatives have been implemented in the United States to facilitate saving and build financial security at tax time, including national experiments, pilot programs, and federal and state policies. Much progress has been made in encouraging tax filers, especially low- to moderate-income (LMI) tax filers, to save a portion of their refund. To expand upon the “golden moment” of saving at tax time, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers must now seek ways in which the lump sum of saving at tax time can serve to render tax filers capable of confidently managing their financial lives. …
Financial Outcomes In Seed For Oklahoma Kids, Margaret M. Clancy, Sondra G. Beverly, Michael Sherraden
Financial Outcomes In Seed For Oklahoma Kids, Margaret M. Clancy, Sondra G. Beverly, Michael Sherraden
Center for Social Development Research
The SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment is a large-scale policy test of universal, automatic, and progressive Child Development Accounts (CDAs). This fact sheet highlights selected SEED OK financial outcomes measured between 2007 and 2014. Because of SEED OK’s automatic account opening and initial deposits, the CDA has especially large impacts on OK 529 savings among disadvantaged children. Advantaged children are more likely than disadvantaged children to have individual savings in OK 529 accounts, and average individual savings are higher for advantaged children. But, the CDA increases the likelihood that disadvantaged children have OK 529 accounts opened by their …
Nudging Youth To Develop Savings Habits: Experimental Evidence Using Sms Messages, Katherine Rodríguez, Juan E. Saavedra
Nudging Youth To Develop Savings Habits: Experimental Evidence Using Sms Messages, Katherine Rodríguez, Juan E. Saavedra
Center for Social Development Research
In this working paper, we report on a field experiment articulating financial information via cellphone text messages and financial decisions among low-income youth in Colombia. For twelve months, youth accountholders are randomly assigned to receive either: (a) monthly financial education messages, (b) monthly savings reminders, (c) semimonthly reminders, or (d) control. After 12 months, account balances in monthly and semimonthly reminders groups increase by 28% and 43%, respectively, relative to controls. Financial education messages do not increase balances. Over two thirds of balance increases in reminder groups are net savings. Savings effects of reminders last eight months after youth stop …
A Savings Account For Every Child Born In Israel: Recommendations For Program Implementation, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Meredith Covington, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden
A Savings Account For Every Child Born In Israel: Recommendations For Program Implementation, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Meredith Covington, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden
Center for Social Development Research
In November 2015, Israel enacted legislation to create and fund a Child Development Account program. Beginning in 2017, every baby born to an insured Israeli resident will receive a Child Development Account in his or her name. This brief details the policy, which was developed in collaboration with researchers at the Center for Social Development, and offers recommendations to guide its implementation.
Youth Savings Patterns And Performance In Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, And Nepal, Lissa Johnson, Yungsoo Lee, David Ansong, Margaret S. Sherraden, Gina Chowa, Fred Ssewamala, Li Zou, Michael Sherraden, Moses Njenga, Joseph Kieyah, Issac Osei-Akoto, Sharad Sharma, Jyoti Manandhar, Catherine Rodriguez Orgales, Frederico Merchán, Juan Saavedra
Youth Savings Patterns And Performance In Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, And Nepal, Lissa Johnson, Yungsoo Lee, David Ansong, Margaret S. Sherraden, Gina Chowa, Fred Ssewamala, Li Zou, Michael Sherraden, Moses Njenga, Joseph Kieyah, Issac Osei-Akoto, Sharad Sharma, Jyoti Manandhar, Catherine Rodriguez Orgales, Frederico Merchán, Juan Saavedra
Center for Social Development Research
Youth Savings Patterns and Performance in Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, and Nepal
Annual Report On The Asset Project's Head Start Family Financial Capability Pilot: 2014–2015, Anne S. Robertson, Jami Curley
Annual Report On The Asset Project's Head Start Family Financial Capability Pilot: 2014–2015, Anne S. Robertson, Jami Curley
Center for Social Development Research
Since the Great Recession (December 2007–2009 in the United States), poverty has compromised many families and increased the prevalence of young children living in neighborhoods of concentrated, deep poverty. However, financial literacy interventions have reported promising outcomes for influencing financial choices and financial knowledge, highlighting the potential of such programs for improving the economic positions of families and children. This report presents results from a mixed-methods evaluation of a financial literacy intervention with Head Start families in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The intervention combines savings incentives and one-on-one coaching with 10 hours of financial education on debt management, banking, …
Research Summary: Universal Accounts At Birth: Results From Seed For Oklahoma Kids, Sondra G. Beverly, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden
Research Summary: Universal Accounts At Birth: Results From Seed For Oklahoma Kids, Sondra G. Beverly, Margaret M. Clancy, Michael Sherraden
Center for Social Development Research
This research summary consolidates the findings of several studies from the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment, a large-scale policy test of universal, automatic, and progressive Child Development Accounts (CDAs). Studies report the positive impacts of the CDA on financial outcomes (e.g., OK 529 college savings account holding and savings) and on nonfinancial outcomes (e.g., educational expectations, mother’s mental health, and child development). The impacts are often greater for disadvantaged and at-risk children. of note, the automatic components make the CDA in SEED OK inclusive and reduce asset inequality early in life. SEED OK studies indicate the importance of automatic account …
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
Use Of Alternative Financial Services Among Low- And Moderate-Income Households: Findings From A Large-Scale National Household Financial Survey, Mathieu R. Despard, Dana C. Perantie, Lingzi Luo, Jane Oliphant, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Use Of Alternative Financial Services Among Low- And Moderate-Income Households: Findings From A Large-Scale National Household Financial Survey, Mathieu R. Despard, Dana C. Perantie, Lingzi Luo, Jane Oliphant, Michal Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
Use of Alternative Financial Services Among Low- and Moderate-Income Households: Findings From a Large-Scale National Household Financial Survey
The Volunteer Income Tax Preparer's Toolkit: Showing Clients Why Tax Time Is The Right Time To Save, Meredith Covington, Janie Oliphant, Dana Perantie, Michael Grinstein-Weiss
The Volunteer Income Tax Preparer's Toolkit: Showing Clients Why Tax Time Is The Right Time To Save, Meredith Covington, Janie Oliphant, Dana Perantie, Michael Grinstein-Weiss
Center for Social Development Research
The Volunteer Income Tax Preparer's Toolkit: Showing Clients Why Tax Time Is the Right Time to Save
The Seed For Oklahoma Kids Child Development Account Experiment: Accounts, Assets, Earnings, And Savings, Sondra G. Beverly, Margaret M. Clancy, Jin Huang, Michael Sherraden
The Seed For Oklahoma Kids Child Development Account Experiment: Accounts, Assets, Earnings, And Savings, Sondra G. Beverly, Margaret M. Clancy, Jin Huang, Michael Sherraden
Center for Social Development Research
This brief presents the latest results from SEED for Oklahoma Kids, a pathbreaking randomized experiment to test the effects of automatic, universal, and progressive Child Development Accounts (CDAs) in a statewide sample. Key features of the CDA are automatic opening of a 529 account and an automatic initial $1,000 deposit. The results show that CDAs with automatic deposits invested in a 529 plan may enable children to accumulate meaningful levels of assets over time, even if their families do not contribute to the accounts. As the brief indicates, the new results also have key implications for public policy.
"Taking The Bank To The Youth:" Impacts On Saving And Asset Building From The Ghana Youthsave Experiment, Yungsoo Lee, Lissa Johnson, Michael Sherraden, David Ansong, Isaac Osei-Akoto, Gina Chowa
"Taking The Bank To The Youth:" Impacts On Saving And Asset Building From The Ghana Youthsave Experiment, Yungsoo Lee, Lissa Johnson, Michael Sherraden, David Ansong, Isaac Osei-Akoto, Gina Chowa
Center for Social Development Research
This working paper explores the experimental impact of in-school banking and financial marketing outreach on the savings performance of youth in schools across eight geographic regions in Ghana (i.e., “taking the bank to the youth”). The researchers found significant and sizable effects of the Ghana YouthSave experiment on savings performance. Youth in treatment schools performed better in terms of account opening, depositing, and savings than those in control schools. Between the two treatment conditions, in-school banking was more effective than marketing outreach in promoting account uptake and savings but the differences were marginally significant. Overall, the findings of the Ghana …
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.
Head Start Family Financial Capability: 2013–2014 Annual Report Of The Asset Project, Jami Curley, Anne S. Robertson
Head Start Family Financial Capability: 2013–2014 Annual Report Of The Asset Project, Jami Curley, Anne S. Robertson
Center for Social Development Research
Head Start Family Financial Capability: 2013–2014 Annual Report of the Asset Project
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
Refund To Savings 2013: Comprehensive Report On A Large-Scale Tax-Time Saving Program, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Dana C. Perantie, Blair D. Russell, Krista Comer, Samuel H. Taylor, Lingzi Luo, Clinton Key, Dan Ariely
Refund To Savings 2013: Comprehensive Report On A Large-Scale Tax-Time Saving Program, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Dana C. Perantie, Blair D. Russell, Krista Comer, Samuel H. Taylor, Lingzi Luo, Clinton Key, Dan Ariely
Center for Social Development Research
Refund to Savings 2013: Comprehensive Report on a Large-Scale Tax-Time Saving Program
New Measures Of Economic Security And Development: Savings Goals For Short-Term And Long-Term Economic Needs, Yunju Nam, Yungsoo Lee, Shawn Mcmahon, Michael Sherraden
New Measures Of Economic Security And Development: Savings Goals For Short-Term And Long-Term Economic Needs, Yunju Nam, Yungsoo Lee, Shawn Mcmahon, Michael Sherraden
Center for Social Development Research
The long-term economic security and development of a family depend largely upon saving and asset-accumulation, yet most measures of economic well-being focus on short-term consumption needs. This study takes a broader view, developing precautionary, retirement, homeownership and education savings goals. Together these savings goals constitute a new set of asset-based measures of family financial well-being. Estimated savings needs depend upon family type and other assumptions, and we consider investment gains and differences in dollar values over time in our calculations. This study shows that families should save $155 to $572 every month to address all four savings needs. The number …
Baseline Survey Of The Third Cohort: A Supplemental Report From The Youthsave Ghana Experiment, Gina Chowa, David Ansong, Rainier Masa, Shiyou Wu, Yalitza Ramos, Meli Blake Kimathi
Baseline Survey Of The Third Cohort: A Supplemental Report From The Youthsave Ghana Experiment, Gina Chowa, David Ansong, Rainier Masa, Shiyou Wu, Yalitza Ramos, Meli Blake Kimathi
Center for Social Development Research
Baseline Survey of the Third Cohort: A Supplemental Report From the YouthSave Ghana Experiment
Lack Of Emergency Savings Puts American Households At Risk, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Blair Russell, Brad Tucker, Krista Comer
Lack Of Emergency Savings Puts American Households At Risk, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Blair Russell, Brad Tucker, Krista Comer
Center for Social Development Research
Lack of Emergency Savings Puts American Households at Risk