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Working Paper
State Mandated Financial Education and the Credit Behavior of Young Adults
In the U.S., a number of states have mandated personal finance classes in public school curricula to address perceived deficiencies in financial decision-making competency. Despite the growth of financial and economic education provided in public schools, little is known about the effect of these programs on the credit behaviors of young adults. Using a panel of credit report data, we examine young adults in three states where personal financial education mandates were implemented in 2007: Georgia, Idaho, and Texas. We compare the credit scores and delinquency rates of young adults in each of ...
Report
Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2013
Many households in the United States have been tested by the Great Recession. Large-scale financial strain at the household level ultimately fed into broader economic challenges for the country, and the completion of the national recovery will ultimately be, in part, a reflection of the well-being of households and consumers. Because households’ finances can change at a rapid pace and new opportunities and risks may emerge, such recovery can be complex to monitor. To better understand the financial state of U.S. households, the Federal Reserve Board conducted a new consumer survey, the ...
Working Paper
How House Price Dynamics and Credit Constraints affect the Equity Extraction of Senior Homeowners
Households can borrow against equity through different channels, including home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), second liens, cash-out refinancing, and--for senior homeowners--reverse mortgages. We use data from the New York Federal Reserve/Equifax Consumer Credit Panel, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other sources to jointly estimate the decision to extract equity through these different channels. Specifically, we identify the influence of credit constraints, house price dynamics and their interactions on the proportion of seniors in a ZIP code extracting through ...
Working Paper
The Determinants of Subprime Mortgage Performance Following a Loan Modification
We examine the evolution of mortgage modification terms obtained by distressed subprime borrowers during the recent housing crisis, and the effect of the various types of modifications on the subsequent loan performance. Using the CoreLogic LoanPerformance dataset that contains detailed loan level information on mortgages, modification terms, second liens, and home values, we estimate a discrete time proportional hazard model with competing risks to examine the determinants of post-modification mortgage outcomes. We find that principal reductions are particularly effective at improving loan ...
Report
Consumers and Mobile Finance Services 2012
Mobile devices have increasingly become tools that consumers use for banking, payments, budgeting, and shopping. This report presents findings from an online survey, conducted in December 2011 and January 2012, examining the use of mobile technology to access financial services and make financial decisions.
Discussion Paper
Saving for College and Section 529 Plans
The past decade has simultaneously witnessed a substantial increase in enrollment at post-secondary institutions and a marked increase in college tuition. Not surprisingly, this trend overlapped with an increased demand for student loans and tax-advantaged educational savings.
Working Paper
Does Salient Financial Information Affect Academic Performance and Borrowing Behavior among College Students?
While rising student loan debt can plague college students future finances, few federal programs have been instituted to educate college students on the mechanics of student loan borrowing. This paper exploits a natural experiment in which some students received "Know Your Debt" letters with incentivized offers for one-on-one financial counseling. Montana State University students who reached a specific debt threshold received these letters; University of Montana students did not. We use a difference-in-difference-in-differences strategy to compare students above and below the thresholds ...
Report
Consumers and Mobile Finance Services 2013
Mobile devices have increasingly become tools that consumers use for banking, payments, budgeting, and shopping. In December 2011, the Federal Reserve Board conducted its first survey of consumers’ use of mobile financial services, and released a summary report in March 2012 (referred to as the 2011 survey). Given the rapid pace of developments in the area of mobile finance, the Board conducted a second survey in late November 2012 to examine trends in adoption and use of mobile banking and payments (referred to as the 2012 survey). This report presents findings from the 2012 online survey, ...
Journal Article
Use of financial services by the unbanked and underbanked and the potential for mobile financial services adoption
The increased use of mobile devices coupled with the evolution of technologies that enable consumers to conduct financial transactions using mobile phones has the potential to change how consumers manage their finances. Innovations in financial service technologies may also help foster access and inclusion in the mainstream financial system for unbanked or underbanked consumers. Using data collected through the Board?s Survey of Consumers and Mobile Financial Services, this article examines the characteristics of unbanked and underbanked consumers, their current use of mobile financial ...
Discussion Paper
Should You Trust Things You Hear Online? Comparing SHED and Census Bureau Survey Results
In the fall of 2013, the Federal Reserve Board began conducting the Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED), which is an annual survey of individual consumers designed to monitor their well-being and identify risks to their financial stability.