Financial Literacy Programs and

Minority Participation

Presented by:

Torell T. Pernell Chicago State University

Minorities and Money• Minorities do not bank, buy insurance or invest in stocks in the

same way as white Americans.

• Less than half of all Hispanics have credit cards compared to 80

percent of the population.

• Only 57 percent of middle-class African Americans have money

invested in the stock market as opposed to 81 percent of whites.

• About 58 percent of Hispanic households had savings or checking

accounts compared with 71 percent of black families and 93 percent

of white households.

• Women continue to have less income in retirement than men do.

Source: M. Lee, MBA , National Economic Council

The need for more minority financial literacy

African American adults were less likely than Caucasian adults to have

learned personal finance information from school.

African American and Hispanic adults are significantly more likely than

Caucasian adults to express concerns with assorted financial challenges

African American and Hispanic adults, significantly more than their white

counterparts, strongly agree that they could use answers to everyday

financial questions from a professional.

Source: Consumer Financial Literacy Survey (2011).

Participation by income and gender, 2012Vanguard defined contribution plans permitting employee-elective deferrals.

Annual Income Female Male All

<$30,000 51% 43% 46%

$30,000–$49,999 70 58 63

$50,000–$74,999 78 62 67

$75,000–$99,999 85 74 77

$100,000+ 87 88 87

Source: Vanguard Capital, 2013.

<$30,000 $30,000–$49,999 $50,000–$74,999 $75,000–$99,999 $100,000+ 0

50

100

150

200

250

300

allmalefemale

Participation by income and gender, Vanguard Capital Management 2012

$0-29,999 $30,000-59,999 $60,000-89,999 $90,000-119,999 $120,000+ $0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

AFRICAN-AMERICAN ASIAN HISPANIC WHITE

Average Account Balance by Salary (2007

Source: The Ariel / Hewitt Fund

Research objectives

▫ Understand the concepts of financial education

▫ Analyze the design of financial education programs

▫ Discover current financial education initiatives

▫ Analyze the effect and progress of such initiatives

•Why is financial education important?

• What is “financial education?”

•What financial education initiatives are

underway?

•Are they working and how do we know?

Why is financial education important?

• More savings• More investments• Less debt• Homeownership• Bank accounts• 401(k), pension• Higher credit

score

Pros Cons

• Less savings• Less investments• High debt• Low-income group• High prepaid cards

fees• Lack of 401(k),

pension• Lower credit score

Source: Lerman and Bell, 2006.

What is “financial education?”

being knowledgeable, educated, and informed on the issues of

managing money and assets, banking, investments, credit,

insurance, and taxes

understanding the basic concepts underlying the management of

money and assets (e.g., the time value of money in investments

and the pooling of risks in insurance)

using that knowledge and understanding to plan, implement, and

evaluate financial decisions.

Source: J. Hogarth, Federal Reserve (2006).

What are financial literacy programs?

•Intended to increase financial awareness

and improve financial behaviors

•Provides individuals with the knowledge,

aptitude, and skills necessary to become

questioning and informed consumers of

financial services

Designing Effective Financial Literacy Programs

• The topics

• The audience

• Learning styles

• Behavior stage

Source: J. Hogarth, Federal Reserve (2006).

▫Budgeting

▫Credit / Fico scores

▫Credit cards

▫Saving and investing

▫Student loan repayment

Components of financial literacy programs

Source: Nelnet Loan Servicing

Are financial education programs working and how do we know?

• Some have shown positive results• Some have shown minimal results• Some have shown no results

• Evaluations are based on:

▫ Current and past financial education knowledge

▫ Current and past behaviors in managing personal finances

▫ Knowledge and attitudes

▫ Behaviors and outcomes

o how much money has been saved?

o how much debt has been reduced?

o how much money has been invested?

Source: Jump$tart Coalition

Effective programs need:

• Measurable goals

• Appropriate and realistic formatting

• Information

• Experience-based content

• Student involvement

• Financial literacy should be pervasive theme

Determining success

Source: Nelnet Loan Servicing

Potential contributors to financial education

•Non-profits

•Credit counseling services

•Centers for economic and financial education

•Local foundations

•Financial services sector

•Local/state/national government agencies

•US Treasury

Research shows that financial education does not necessarily lead to

behavioral changes in personal money management

Skill-building and motivation are two other issues that must be considered

when providing financial education

Automatic investment programs and governmental tax incentives also

help to provide motivation and to contribute to behavioral changes

Cultural, economic, and environmental conditions play a significant role in

shaping the everyday financial choices of individuals

Does Financial Literacy Work?

Source: Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 2009.

Financial Education Resources• Governmental agencies

▫U.S. Federal Reserve Board▫ Illinois Department of Labor▫U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Education▫U.S. Census Bureau▫U.S. Department of Labor

• Private financial institutions▫Bank of America▫American Bankers Association▫Ariel Mutual Fund▫The Institute on Assets and Social Policy▫The Urban Institute

Looking Ahead

• Our goal is to learn much more about the outcomes

and impacts that financial education has on

individuals and their communities

• The Federal Reserve Board is beginning a project

that consists of a longitudinal evaluation of their

own financial education program

• More financial institutions will develop and support

financial literacy initiatives.

Existing programs

• University of North Texas - Student Money Management Center ▫ Web site, resources for students and parents▫ www.moneymanagement.unt.edu

• Kansas State University - Power Cat Financial Counseling ▫ Recognized by the White House as a model program▫ www.k-state.edu/pfc, https://www.facebook.com/kstatepfc

• University of Texas - Bevonomics▫ short courses are conducted▫ www.bevonomics.org

References• Braunstein, Sandra and Welch, Carolyn. “Financial Literacy: An Overview of Practice,

Research, and Policy.” Federal Reserve Bulletin, Nov 2006.

• Gale, William G., Harris, Benjamin H., and Levine, Ruth. “Raising Household Saving.” Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 72, No. 2, 2012.

• Harnisch, Thomas L. “Boosting Financial Literacy in America.” Perspectives, Fall 2010.

• Hogarth, Jeanne M. “Financial Education and Economic Development. “ Federal Reserve Board, Nov 2006.

• Lee, Michael D. “Minorities and Money.”

• Lerman, Robert I. and Bell, Elizabeth. “Can Financial Literacy Enhance Asset Building?” The Urban Institute, Sep 2005.

• Lerman, Robert I. and Bell, Elizabeth. “Financial Literacy Strategies: Where Do We Go From Here?” The Urban Institute, Aug 2006.

• Lusardi, Annamaria. “Financial Education and the Saving Behavior of African-American and Hispanic Households.” Dartmouth College, Department of Economics, Sep 2005.

• Mandell, Lewis Ph.D. “The Financial Literacy of Young Adults.” JumpStart Coalition, 2008.

• Mandell, Lewis and Klein, Schmid Klein, Linda. “The Impact of Financial Literacy Education on Subsequent Financial Behavior.” Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Volume 20, Issue 1, 2009.

• National Strategy 2011. “Promoting Financial Success in the United States.” Financial Literacy and Education Commission, 2011.

Thank you!

Torell T. Pernell Chicago State University