Income inequality in the United States is growing, but the most common economic statistics hide a significant portion of Americans’ financial instability by drawing on annual aggregates of income and spending. Annual numbers can hide fluctuations that determine whether families have trouble...

One of the core findings of the US Financial Diaries is the prevalence of income volatility. On average, our households experience six months when income is 20% above or below their typical monthly income. In theory, households should react to volatile incomes by building up savings in months where...

The US Financial Diaries track the finances of a small sample of low and moderate-income households over a year. The households faced substantial swings in income from month to month. On average, they experienced 2.5 months when income fell more than 25 percent below average, and 2.6 months when...

The Rodriguez’ enjoy a measure of financial health and security. Maria and her husband, Dean, will soon have the first mortgage paid off on their four-bedroom, two-bathroom house. Buttressed by regular payments from Social Security and other federal benefits, the five members of the household...

In this issue brief, we explain what informal finance is and how informal savings and borrowing tools are used; some reasons why people use such informal tools; the benefits, costs and limits of informal finance; and the implications of these findings for financial services providers and...

This is a household profile of a participant in the U.S. Financial Diaries project. Sandra Young, 52, is an African American woman living in Brooklyn with her grown children: Tyler, 25, and Kayla, 24. Sandra manages several branches of a tax preparation agency, which means that she earns most of...

This is a household profile of a participant in the U.S. Financial Diaries project. Lauren Walker, 29, is a single mother living with her four-year-old son Riley in a rented townhome in a small town in eastern Mississippi. Lauren works full time as an administrative assistant for a local...

This is a household profile of a participant in the U.S. Financial Diaries project. Mike Smith, a single man in his mid-50s, lives in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Kentucky, in a small town near the Ohio River. Even though his resources are limited, he manages to save by strictly controlling...

We deployed field researchers into communities in California, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, and Kentucky to delve into the intimate financial details of approximately 200 households. Over the course of a year, field researchers visited each family once or twice a month, logging detailed information...

This is a household profile of a participant in the U.S. Financial Diaries project. Mateo Valencia, 31, and Lucia Benitez, 30, are an unmarried couple living in Queens with their four year- old son Pablo. Mateo and Lucia are undocumented immigrants, and the realities and dangers of living in the...

New financial services cannot increase household incomes. However, there is tremendous potential for high-quality financial services to help households achieve greater financial health and better manage income uncertainty. In this research note, we explore the concept of uncertain incomes through...

More than ever, Americans need to be financially savvy. The past few years have shown that mortgages can be complicated, business-cycle downswings severe, and investing far from obvious. And, for many of us, saving is not easy. Creating a successful financial life takes a high level of know-how and...