Practitioners engaged in the nascent field of financial development lack a shared system of tracking and analyzing customer progress toward financial security. Practice leaders—ranging from direct service organizations such as the Chicago-based LISC to NeighborWorks America of Washington,...

COVID-19 is radically reshaping many aspects of people’s financial health in America, including their housing security. The economic fallout is disproportionately impacting communities of color due to systemic inequities related to race, housing, employment, and more. As the protections put in...

To meet the needs of clients who have to navigate a complex financial services industry, community-based organizations are recognizing the need to expand and redesign the financial education and support programs they offer. They are taking their efforts beyond the classroom to help people turn...

This brief presents successful models for community-based organizations to integrate financial coaching services into their existing programs. It takes into account not only organizations’ capability and resources, but also the readiness of clients to enter into services. It discusses the...

This brief focuses on the connections between financial coaching and long-term security. It emphasizes the differences between coaching and other approaches to working with clients on personal finance issues. Finally, it explores the unique client/coach relationship, the benefits of financial...

The Great Recession brought the lack of basic financial know-how among many U.S. households into sharp focus, especially in low-wealth communities. The combination of depleted or nonexistent savings, high-cost credit, and consumer debt became a familiar cause of financial distress for vulnerable...

Evaluation of programs is crucial to gaining insight into what does and does not work, how best to adjust service delivery, and patterns and trends among clients. Yet, too often evaluation occurs only at the end of a project, is focused exclusively on informing funders and other outsiders, and is...

For those committed to advancing financial coaching, financial education, asset building and asset preservation activities as a means of helping low- and moderate-income people achieve economic security, these outcome evaluation measures, when applied in a systematic way over time, can become an...

To assess the current state of financial health in America and to glean insights that can inform cross-sector efforts to improve consumer outcomes, CFSI designed and commissioned a nationally representative survey focused on consumers’ financial behaviours, attitudes, and preferences. This report...

Drive through a low-income neighborhood in virtually any American city and it quickly becomes apparent that the area’s financial health is at risk. The giveaway? The abundance of payday lenders. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, there are now more than 20,000 of these organizations...

This report provides a view into the state of financial well-being in America. It presents results from the National Financial Well-Being Survey, conducted in late 2016. The findings include the distribution of financial well-being scores for the overall adult population and for selected...

Over 29 million Americans comprise the “at risk” segment – most likely of all the segments to live paycheck to paycheck and run out of money before the end of the month. Seven in ten struggle to keep on top of their bills, and a quarter are actually falling behind on credit and bill...

Despite America’s reputation as the land of opportunity, more than 16 million (1 in 5) American children live below the poverty line. To break the cycle of poverty, we must find ways to intervene early and adopt a two-generation approach that helps both parents and children excel, rather than...

The rise of economic inequality has become a staple of policy debates and stump speeches. Less visible is the way the rise has altered the landscape of America’s urban neighborhoods. Two books should help change that. Matthew Desmond, an urban sociologist at Harvard, has delivered a jolt with...

While the progress of the IDA field to date has surprised even its most ardent supporters, its potential in the coming years is greater. We think this progress stems from two fundamental strengths: first, asset equity is an idea whose time has come; and second, individuals and institutions from all...

The Gig Worker On-Demand Economy survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Prudential from January 5 to February 18, 2017, among a nationally representative (U.S.) sample of 1,491 workers including 514 full-time and 256 part-time traditional employees and 721 gig workers. Gig work was...

We are pleased to share the results from the third installment of the Bank of America/USA TODAY Better Money Habits Millennial Report, which measures millennials’ attitudes and priorities around money. The newest findings show that while millennials are reasonably confident about money and are...

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...

The 2012 Household Financial Planning Survey found that even in an uncertain economic climate, financial planning leads to better outcomes for those who take the time and make the effort to plan. Planners showed themselves to be more confident about their financial decision-making ability, able to...

Students spend a significant portion of their day in school – and as a result, schools can offer these students a safe and consistent place to study and access to caring adults who can help them navigate some of the challenges they face. In an otherwise chaotic time of homelessness, schools can...

Approaching anti-poverty work from this view point asks that we re-think the social compact between government and its constituents. It demands that we think beyond reactive policies focused narrowly on crisis intervention and preservation of the safety net, to policies that aim to proactively help...

America Saves, a campaign managed by the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America, motivates, encourages, and supports low- to moderate-income households to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth. Information and tips for setting a savings goal, making a savings plan, how to save...

For most households in America, financial shocks are inevitable. The car will break down. The house will need a repair. A key earner for a household will be laid off. These shocks can be devastating to household finances. And while the COVID-19 pandemic, which we are still recovering from, was a...

The health and economic crises brought on by the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made the federal nutrition programs more important than ever. An unacceptably high number of people in America do not have enough to eat, and it is likely that the economic recovery for families who struggle...

This report was originally developed to support the work of Feeding America and its member food banks in exploring interventions that support households’ economic well-being. Such strategies can be valuable not only for organizations serving households facing food insecurity, but for agencies and...