Food Insecurity of Low-income Families

Nnakwe Nweze. E. (March 2008). Dietary patterns and prevalence of food insecurity among low-income families participating in community food assistance programs in a Midwest town. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 36 (3), 229-242. http://fcs.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/36/3/229.

 

Brief Description: The study investigated the dietary patterns and prevalence of food insecurity in low-income families participating in community food assistance programs. A total of 236 heads of households were selected as a convenience sample and interviewed using standard research instruments. Households with children …

Impact of Social and Financial Resources on Hardship

 

Parks-Yancy, R., DiTomaso, N. & Post, C. (2007). The mitigating effects of social and financial capital resources on hardships. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 28(3), 429-448.

Brief Description: Social and financial capital resources include knowing people who can help one obtain a job, offer cash or help defray expenses when layoffs or other hardships occur. These resources differ by gender and class (income/occupational status). This study found that middle class individuals had ample access to social and financial …

Encouraging Savings by Low-Income Individuals

 

Fry, T., Mihajilo, S., Russell, R. & Brooks, R. (2008). The factors influencing saving in a matched savings program: goals, knowledge of payment instruments and other behavior. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 29(2), 234-250.

Brief Description: This study investigates the factors that influence the saving behavior of low-income participants in a matched savings program. The factors found to play a positive role in encouraging saving were goal-setting and the financial literacy education component offered in the program. The …

A Framework for Promoting Retirement Savings

Wiener, J. & Doescher, T. (2008). A Framework for Promoting Retirement Savings, The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 42 (2), 137-164.

Brief description: This paper identifies the constructs that influence an individual’s intention to save for retirement. It discusses how and when these factors can be changed by an agent trying to induce an individual to enroll in a retirement plan, increase his or her contribution to a plan, or purchase a particular retirement product. A broad array of psychological theories …

Impact of Health on Financial Security of Older Americans

Kim, H. & Lyons, A. C. (2008). No Pain, No Strain: Impact of Health on the Financial Security of Older Americans. The Journal of Consumer Affairs; Spring 2008, 42(1), 9-36.

Brief Description: This study investigated the impact that new and existing health problems have on the financial strain of older Americans. Health problems significantly increased the likelihood of financial strain for older individuals, but the effects varied by the measure of financial strain used and how health status is …

Assessing Farm Households’ Investment Education Needs

 

O’Neill, B., Porter, N. M., Pankow, D., Schuchardt, J. & Johnson, J. (2010). Online investment education: Listening to learners to develop an effective financial literacy program for farm households. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 21 (1), pp. 25-42.

Brief Description:  Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from farm households to better understand their investment attitudes, practices, and learning preferences in order to adapt an online investment course for their needs. Researchers found that farmers are a distinct audience …

Automated Saving and Investing Strategies

 

O’Neill, B. (2007) Overcoming Inertia: Do Automated Saving and Investing Strategies Work? Journal of Family and Economic Issues 28(2), 321-335. http://www.springerlink.com/content/wt1653190x010357/

Brief Description: Various automated strategies have been implemented by employers with the objective of increasing retirement plan participation. Automatic strategies work by proactively arranging some type of action (e.g., plan enrollment) to occur unless people specifically opt out. This article examines and synthesizes previous empirical research about five automatic savings and investing strategies: (a) automatic retirement savings plan …

Decrease in Stock Ownership by Minority Households

 

Hanna, S. D. & Lindamood, S.( 2008). The decrease in stock ownership by minority households. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 19(2), 29-45.

Brief Description: Researchers have found that White households are more likely to own stocks that minority households. Although stock ownership rates increased for minority households from 1992 to 2001, they declined significantly between 2001 and 2004.

Implications: Credit counseling agencies should monitor the clients’ intentions of completing their debt management plans and incorporate educational components that …

Effects of Capital Accumulation Ratio on Wealth

 

Harness, N.J., Finke, M.S., & Chatterjee, S. (2009). The effects of the capital accumulation ratio on wealth. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 20(1), 44-57.

Brief Description: The capital accumulation ratio (CAR) is a measure of household portfolio quality used by financial practitioners and in academic research. It measures investment assets divided by net worth. This study tested whether a higher CAR impacted household wealth over a specific decade (1994 to 2004) among respondents in the accumulation stage …

Racial/Ethnic Differences in High Return Investment Ownership

 

Hanna, S. D., Wang, C. & Yuh, Y. (2010). Racial/ethnic differences in high return investment ownership: A decomposition analysis. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 21 (2), pp. 44-59.

Brief Description:  Research on ownership of high risk/high return assets shows that Black and Hispanic households are much less likely to own them than are White households, even after education is taken into account. This study uses a decomposition strategy to examine how minority households would invest if they had …