As financial educators know, making day-to-day decisions on spending money is one of the biggest challenges consumers face in keeping their financial lives in order. Many people find it difficult to manage their household finances on a daily basis, let alone over the long term. This brief from the...

The CFPB conducted research on consumer challenges in tracking spending and keeping to a budget. The research found that consumers aspire to manage their spending but for many reasons, many consumers spend more than intended and sometimes have\ difficulty in staying within their budgets. In...

Because of the key role that financial education can play in people’s lives, the CFPB has conducted research over its first five years into what makes financial education effective for consumers. What do we mean by “effective?” It does not just mean training that helps people perform better...

This is a companion guide to the 'Your Money, Your Goals' curriculum by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the United States. This guide- Your Money, Your Goals: Focus on People with Disabilities—contains information, tips, and tools based on the insights from people with...

A financial well-being questionnaire developed by the Consumer Financial Protection...

Very little is known about the number or characteristics of credit invisibles or consumers with unscored credit records. This Data Point documents the results of a research project undertaken by Staff in the Office of Research of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to better...

Increasing interest in the role that consumer-focused policy interventions can play in improving economic outcomes has led to a host of intervention models in recent years. Financial coaching has emerged as one prominent model in this field, aimed at improving consumer financial outcomes by using...

There is wide variation in how people in the U.S. feel about their financial well-being. This report presents findings from a survey by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on the distribution of financial well-being scores for the U.S. adult population overall and for selected...

About half of households are considered financially fragile, which means they’re not sure they could come up with $2,000 in 30 days if they had to. Lack of emergency savings is common. It affects about half of households that earn $25,000 to $75,000 a year, and about a quarter of households that...

Many consumers live paycheck-to-paycheck. Bills and financial notices arrive by mail and e-mail at different times of the day and month. Consumers typically don’t act on them immediately. Research shows that consumers have many reasons for their actions. To gain insight into why it’s so hard...

This report presents the results of the Survey of Consumer Views on Debt (“survey”) which was conducted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“Bureau”) between December 2014 and March 2015. The survey results substantially expand the understanding of debt collection in the United...

This review is intended to serve as a resource for employers who are interested in promoting employee financial well-being by helping their employees develop the skills to better manage their money. Section One introduces the need for financial education in the workplace. Section Two offers an...

When money is tight, consumers often pay bills in a way that makes the problem worse, with late fees, penalties, and higher interest rates. Research shows that consumers have many reasons for their actions. To gain insight into why it’s so hard for consumers to organize and manage their financial...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the CFPB) looked at the information sources consumers are exposed to when they make financial decisions. Empowering consumers to make the financial decisions that will help them meet their own life goals is a critical part of the mission of the CFPB. To...

The purpose of this white paper is to outline how the ongoing struggle of many consumers to manage their finances can be mitigated in the future by focusing specifically on youth financial education. What we propose here is a comprehensive strategy to impart personal financial-management skills to...

To test out the impact of rules of thumb in helping consumers decrease their credit card debt, the CFPB commissioned a rigorous study of two financial rules of thumb on consumers with revolving credit card debt. We created two new guidelines aimed at aiding consumers to decrease their revolving...

For financial educators and others who help people with decision-making, there is evidence that providing financial rules of thumb to consumers can work better than more detailed and complex financial education in some situations. To further explore the potential of rules of thumb for financial...

The CFPB has undertaken a broad array of education initiatives this year, as well as continued or expanded upon prior initiatives. These initiatives are described in more detail in various sections of this report. The CFPB’s financial education research is focused on identifying the knowledge,...

To find the best deal when you buy a financial product or service, follow the SAVED steps: 1. STOP for a mental break before making a decision. 2. ASK questions about costs and risks. 3. VERIFY and check what you’re told. 4. ESTIMATE your costs. 5. DECIDE whether the costs and value are...

Where and when during childhood and adolescence do people acquire the foundations of financial capability? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) researched the childhood origins of financial capability and well-being to identify those roots and to find promising practices and...

The report discussed in this brief, “Building blocks to help youth achieve financial capability: A new model and recommendations,” illuminates critical attributes, abilities, and opportunities acquired during the years spanning preschool through young adulthood that support the development...

Consumers have told us that they sometimes find common financial rules of thumb—like “spend no more than 30% of your take-home pay on your wants”—hard to apply to their own circumstances. Don’t feel discouraged, you can decide on your own personal rule to live by that works for your...

Sometimes we set new goals, have changes in income, or switch priorities in our lives. Making a plan is the easiest way to navigate these changes. You wouldn’t start a road trip without mapping it out first, and the same is true with your finances. This guide will help you gain a clear view of...

Consumers have told us that they sometimes find common financial rules of thumb—like “check your credit report once a year”—hard to apply to their own circumstances. Don’t feel discouraged, you can decide on your own personal rule to live by that works for your financial situation. Use...

Understanding financial well-being is crucial to helping consumers achieve it. Financial educators, coaches, and other practitioners work to help people improve their financial lives and get to a better state of financial well-being. To tell whether these efforts are successful, the field needs a...