Refund to Savings (R2S)
Financial Behaviors
The Refund to Savings (R2S) randomized experiment measures the effect of behavioral economics techniques on savings at tax time by building a saving-promotion scheme into the TurboTax Free File Online product that is available free to low- and moderate-income households.
The tax refund is the largest check most households receive all year. Because the refund is separate from normal household income, it may present a golden moment to build savings. This research draws on lessons from behavioral economics to design defaults and frameworks that could encourage individuals to save more of their incomes. See R2S_Concept_Paper and R2S_FAQs.
R2S launched as a collaboration of the Center for Social Development, Duke University, and Intuit Inc., the makers of TurboTax.
Funding Partner: Ford Foundation
Principal Investigator
