Conference Paper

A financial services survey of low income households

Abstract: In 2003 and 2004, MetroEdge conducted a survey of the financial behavior and attitudes of low- and moderate-income households in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, DC. While the results are consistent with prior research that this population is less ?banked? than the general public, they also show that much of the population uses both banks or credit unions and alternative financial institutions and systems for payments, credit and saving. Part of this is the result of network effects: checks are not a universally accepted means of payment in the community. The survey also shows a high correlation between saving and multiple forms of asset-building.

Keywords: Households - Economic aspects; Income distribution; Income;

Status: Published in Proceedings of a conference held in Washington, DC. (2005 : April 7-8) : a Federal Reserve System Community Affairs Reseach Conference; Promises & Pitfalls: as Consumer Finance Options Multiply, Who Is Being Served and at What Cost?

Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Part of Series: Proceedings

Publication Date: 2005

Number: 956