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 …

Assertiveness and Investment Risk of Married Couples

 

Gilliam, J., Dass, M., Durband, D. B. & Hampton, V. (2010). The role of assertiveness in portfolio risk and financial risk tolerance among married couples. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning 21 (1), pp. 53-67.

Brief Description:  Couples who were clients of financial planners were surveyed regarding their assertiveness, risk tolerance and investment portfolios. No relationship was found between assertiveness and risk tolerance or portfolio risk level. There was a positive relationship between wife’s proportion of asset holding (higher relative …

Women’s investment decision-making

 

Loibl, C., Lee, J., Mentel-Gaeta, E., Fox. J. (2007). Women’s high-consequence decision making: A nonstatic and complex choice process. Financial Counseling and Planning, 18(2), 35-47.

Brief Description: Using qualitative data from a focus group of female investors, this study examined choice processes used when making mutual fund decisions in employer retirement plans. It found that investment decision-making is a compromise between the goals of increased accuracy and a desire to limit cognitive effort. Observations included a lack of investment information …

High School Economic Education and Access to Financial Services

 

Grimes, P.W., Rogers, K.E., & Smith, R.C. (2010) High School Economic Education and Access to Financial Services, Journal of Consumer Affairs, 44(2), 317-335.

Brief Description: This study examines the relationship between students taking economics and business courses while in high school and their decision to open and maintain a commercial bank account as an adult. The results of a nationwide telephone survey revealed that high school courses in economics and business reduced the probability that an adult was unbanked, …

Wealth and the Acquisition of Financial Literacy

 

Monticone, C. (2010). How much does wealth matter in the acquisition of financial literacy? The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 44 (2), 403-422.

Brief Description: This article investigated the determinants of financial literacy in Italy using the 2006 wave of the Italian survey on household income and wealth. Empirical results indicated that wealth has a positive effect on financial literacy, suggesting that households endowed with larger financial assets are more likely to invest in financial knowledge.

Implications: an implication for policymakers …

Educating Widows in Personal Financial Planning

 

Korb, B. R. (2010). Financial planners: Educating widows in personal financial planning. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning 21 (2), pp. 3-15.

Brief Description:  Financial planners and their widowed clients were interviewed. Research revealed that widows vary by age in terms of their knowledge level and risk tolerance as well as their needs for financial advice and education, with the younger widows were less risk adverse and more financially literate but in need of financial guidance for a longer time …

Factors related to being in higher income categories

 

DeVaney, S. A., & Anong, S. T. (2007). Income quintiles: Examining changes in the characteristics of respondents. Financial Counseling and Planning, 18(2), 19-34.

Brief Description: This study identified characteristics of Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) respondents in different income distribution quintiles in 1998, 2001, and 2004. Characteristics associated with being in the upper and upper-middle income quintiles included age, education, homeownership, luxury vehicle ownership, and regular savings. Variables that were not significant included gender and family type and attitude …