What are Student Loan Borrowers Thinking? Insights from Focus Groups on College Selection and Student Loan Decision Making

Johnson, C. L., O’Neill, B., Worthy, S., Lown, J. M., Bowen, C. F. (2016). What are student loan borrowers thinking? Insights from focus groups on college selection and student loan decision making. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 27(2), 184-198.

Brief Description: This study used data from online focus groups to understand college students’ decision-making process when borrowing money to finance their education. Respondents were asked eight questions regarding their college selection and student loan decision-making. Results suggest that (a) …

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 …

Social and Financial Capital Resources Can Lessen Hardships

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 …

Banking Experience and Individual Development Accounts

Grinstein-Weiss, M., Yeo, Y. H., Despard, M. R., Casalotti, A. M., and Zhan, M. (2010). Does prior banking experience matter? Differences of the banked and unbanked in Individual Development Accounts. Journal of Family and Economic Issues 31, 212-227.

Brief Description: This study compares the saving performance and program participation of participants who owned bank accounts and those who did not prior to program enrollment in 14 Individual Development Account programs. Banked participants were shown to have higher average monthly net …

Effect of Expressing a Quantitative Goal on Savings Behavior

Loibl, C. & Scharff, R. L. (2010). Examining the effect of expressing a quantitative goal on consumer savings. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 44, (1): 127-154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6606.2010.01160.x.

Brief Description: The study extended the psychological concept of implementation intentions to the analysis of savings behavior. A field experiment was conducted with current participants of an America Saves campaign in a large city in a U.S. Midwestern state. The intervention required the treatment group participants to write down specific plans about the …

Managing a Retirement Portfolio: Do Annuities Provide More Safety?

Spitzer, J.J. (2009). Managing a retirement portfolio: Do annuities provide more safety? Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 20(1), 58-69.

Brief Description:  One of the biggest concerns of retirees is the risk of outliving their assets. This study used a technique called “bootstrap simulations” to estimate the probability of someone outliving a retirement portfolio as increasing proportions of a tax-deferred account are annuitized. It also examined the sizes of the portfolio balance as the annuity amount increased. Required …