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2023

Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2022
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May 22
The report draws from the Board's tenth annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, (SHED), which examines the financial lives of U.S. adults and their families. The survey of more than 11,000 adults was conducted in October 2022, and discusses findings related to financial well-being, income, expenses, employment, banking and credit, housing, retirement and investments, and higher education and student loans.

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2022

Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2021
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May 23
The report draws from the Board's ninth annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, (SHED), which examines the economic well-being and financial lives of U.S. adults and their families. The survey of more than 11,000 adults was conducted in October and November of 2021, and provides a picture of how people were faring at that time.

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2021

Consumer & Community Context: Examining the Pandemic's Economic Effects on Women
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November 5
The fifth issue provides insights into the pandemic's economic impact on women, including childcare disruptions and employment, the financial challenges of single mothers, debt and access to credit, and the experiences of women-owned small businesses.

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Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2020
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May 17
The report draws from the Board's eighth annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED), which examines the economic well-being and financial lives of U.S. adults and their families. The 2020 survey of more than 11,000 adults was conducted in November 2020, offering a picture of how people were faring eight months after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2020: Appendixes PDF

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2020

Consumer & Community Context: COVID-19
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November 18
The fourth issue covers the topic of how consumers, communities, and community development organizations are responding to the pandemic.

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Update on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households: July 2020 Results
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September 18
This supplement to the Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking features updated information about the financial conditions and experiences of consumers and communities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Consumer & Community Context: Retail Banking
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August 10
The third issue covers the topic of changes in retail banking, and includes articles on the implications of faster payments for cash-flow constrained consumers; and the emergence of online-only subsidiaries of traditional brick-and-mortar banks.

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Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2019, Featuring Supplemental Data from April 2020
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May 14
The report draws from the Board's seventh annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED), which examines the economic well-being and financial lives of U.S. adults and their families. The 2019 complete survey was conducted in October 2019, offering a picture of personal finances prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain updated information in the midst of closures and stay-at-home orders, a smaller supplemental survey was conducted in April 2020, focusing on labor market effects and households' overall financial circumstances at that time.
Appendixes to the Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2019, Featuring Supplemental Data from April 2020 HTML

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2019

Uncertain Terms: What Small Business Borrowers Find When Browsing Online Lender Websites
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December 19
This report discusses findings of a study conducted by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland to assess the information presented to prospective borrowers on small business online lender websites.

Consumer Compliance Supervision Bulletin
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December 17
This publication shares information about Federal Reserve examiners' observations and other noteworthy developments related to consumer protection.

Perspectives from Main Street: Bank Branch Access in Rural Communities
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November 25
This report examines how rural consumers and small businesses use bank branches and how their communities have been affected by branch closures. It includes information gathered at listening sessions hosted by Federal Reserve Banks across the country between July 2018 and January 2019, in addition to other data and research.

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Consumer & Community Context: Small Business
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November 4
The second issue covers the topic of small businesses' access to capital, and includes articles on experiences of small business owners when searching for financing online; disparities in small business credit approval by race and ethnicity; and small businesses' access to financial services in low- and moderate-income communities.

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Perspectives from Main Street: Stakeholder Feedback on Modernizing the Community Reinvestment Act
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June 13
This report is a summary of feedback received from bankers and community groups during a series of 29 roundtable discussions on the current state of, and potential revisions to, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA).

Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2018
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May 23
This report draws from the Board's sixth annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) and examines the economic well-being and financial lives of Americans and their families.
Supplemental Appendixes HTML

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Consumer & Community Context: Student Loans
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January 16
The inaugural issue covers the theme of student loans, and includes articles covering the impact that rising student loan debt levels may have on homeownership rates among young adults; and the relationship between the amount of student loan debt individuals acquire and their decisions to live in rural or urban areas.

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2018

Consumer Compliance Supervision Bulletin
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July 26
This publication shares information about Federal Reserve examiners' observations and other noteworthy developments related to consumer protection.

Browsing to Borrow: "Mom & Pop" Small Business Perspectives on Online Lenders
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June 28
This report examines small business owners' perceptions of online lenders and their understanding and interpretation of the information that online lenders use to describe their credit products.
Related Publication: Alternative Lending through the Eyes of "Mom & Pop" Small-Business Owners: Findings from Online Focus Groups

Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2017
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May 22
This report analyzes results of the Board's fifth annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, conducted in November and December 2017. This survey provides insights into the well-being of U.S. households and consumers, and provides important information about how individuals and their families are faring in the economy.
Supplemental Appendixes HTML

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2017

Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2016
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May 19
This report analyzes results of the Board's fourth annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, conducted in October 2016. This survey provides insights into the well-being of U.S. households and consumers, and provides important information about how individuals and their families are faring in the economy.

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2016

Experiences and Perspectives of Young Workers
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December 19
The report provides a snapshot of the educational attainment, employment experience, labor market outlook, and financial self-sufficiency of 18- to 30-year-olds across the United States.

Survey documentation

Student Loan Counseling Challenges and Opportunities
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November 28
This report explores the counseling techniques financial aid administrators use and the challenges they encounter in helping students navigate their financial decisions. It summarizes findings from two focus groups with administrators from around the country.
Related Publication: Engaging Student Borrowers: Results of a Survey of Financial Aid Professionals

Enterprising and Informal Work Activities (EIWA)
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November 17
Fielded in late 2015, the EIWA is a unique survey that captures all of the income generating activities undertaken by a nationally representative sample of adults 18 and older. The survey tracks the online and offline income-generating activities of the respondents as well as their employment status during the six months prior to the survey. Along with the traditional employment activities, the survey also explores offline and informal online paid work activities.
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Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2015
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May 25
This report analyzes results of the Board's third Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, conducted in October and November 2015, and compares them with results from the previous year's survey. This survey provides insights into the well-being of households and consumers, and provides important information about how individuals and their families are faring in the economy.
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Consumers and Mobile Financial Services 2016
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March 30
This report presents findings from the Federal Reserve Board's fifth survey on consumers' use of mobile financial services, conducted in November 2015. It also compares results from the current survey with results from previous years' surveys.
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2015

Analyzing Racial and Ethnic Data in the Survey of Young Workers
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October 29
This report, based on the Board's 2013 Survey of Young Workers, focuses on the similarities and differences the survey data found across respondents of three racial and ethnic groups: white (non-Hispanic), black (non-Hispanic), and Hispanic.

Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2014
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May 27
This report analyzes results of the Board's second Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, conducted in October 2014, and compares them with results from the previous year's survey. The survey aims to capture a snapshot of the financial and economic well-being of U.S. households, as well as to monitor their recovery from the Great Recession and identify perceived risks to their financial stability.
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Consumers and Mobile Financial Services 2015
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March 26
This report presents findings from the Federal Reserve Board's fourth survey on consumers' use of mobile financial services, conducted in December 2014. It also compares results from the current survey with results from previous years' surveys.
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2014

In the Shadow of the Great Recession: Experiences and Perspectives of Young Workers
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November 18
This report, based on the Board's 2013 Survey of Young Workers, provides insight into numerous labor market topics, including the educational attainment, work experience, and expectations of adults aged 18 to 30.

Survey documentation

Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2013
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August 7
This report analyzes results of the Board's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, conducted in September 2013. The survey's purpose was to capture a snapshot of the financial and economic well-being of U.S. households and the issues they face, as well as to monitor their recovery from the Great Recession and identify perceived risks to their financial stability.
Supplemental Appendix HTML
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Consumers and Mobile Financial Services
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March 25
This report presents findings from the Federal Reserve Board's third annual survey on consumers' use of mobile financial services, conducted in December 2013. It also compares results from the current survey with those from the surveys conducted in 2011 and 2012.
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2013

Insights into the Financial Experiences of Older Adults: A Forum Briefing Paper
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July 17
This report highlights key findings from a survey of older adults regarding their use of financial products, their financial decisionmaking, and their main sources of financial stress.
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Insights into the Financial Experiences of Older Adults: Supplemental Appendix
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July 17, 2013
A companion to Insights into the Financial Experiences of Older Adults: A Forum Briefing Paper, this supplemental appendix provides the original wording of the survey questions used to produce the report.
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Consumers and Mobile Financial Services
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March 27
This report presents findings from the Federal Reserve Board's second survey on consumers' use of mobile financial services, conducted in November 2012. It also compares results from the 2012 survey with those from the first survey, conducted in December 2011.
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2012

A Perspective from Main Street: Long-Term Unemployment and Workforce Development
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December

Consumers and Mobile Financial Services
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March 14
Mobile devices have increasingly become tools for consumers to use for banking, payments, budgeting, and shopping. The Federal Reserve Board is interested in the effect of mobile technology on consumer finances, as well as the potential for mobile technology to expand access to financial services for previously underserved populations. This report presents findings from an online survey, conducted in December 2011 and January 2012, examining consumers' use of mobile technology to access financial services and make financial decisions.
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2011

Putting Data to Work: Data-Driven Approaches to Strengthening Neighborhoods
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December 12
This publication offers case studies and best practices for community development professionals, who want to increase their capacity to gather, analyze, disseminate, and use data to inform and support neighborhood stabilization decisions and activities.

Designing Disclosures to Inform Consumer Financial Decisionmaking: Lessons Learned from Consumer Testing
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August 10
The Federal Reserve Board has studied ways to improve the disclosures that consumers draw on when they purchase and use financial products and services. This article examines lessons learned from the Board's consumer testing projects, suggests potential best practices for disclosure content and presentation, and identifies challenges involved in crafting effective disclosures for financial products.

 

2010

REO and Vacant Properties: Strategies for Neighborhood Stabilization
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September 1
This publication contains seventeen articles that examine a variety of neighborhood stabilization issues. The collection highlights both areas of need--such as for data, technology, and collaboration--and promising solutions from communities across the country. Examples include the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, land bank that holds vacant properties until they can be returned to productive use, and Boston Community Capital's efforts to purchase foreclosed properties and sell them back to former owners or tenants using a licensed mortgage affiliate.

 

2009

The Federal Reserve System's Role in Protecting Consumers
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July 16

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Last Update: May 22, 2023