Meeting the Grand Challenge to Build Financial Capability and Assets for All; Social Workers: A Ready Workforce for Building Financial Capability in Underserved Households

Sherraden, M. S., Huang, J., & Johnson, L. (2024, July). Meeting the grand challenge to build financial capability and assets for all; Social workers: A ready workforce for building financial capability in underserved households (Policy Brief). Grand Challenges for Social Work. https://grandchallengesforsocialwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/240730-SW-FCAB-workforce_FINAL.pdf

Meeting the Grand Challenge to Build Financial Capability and Assets for All; Strengthen the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Birkenmaier, J., & Huang, J. (2024, July). Meeting the grand challenge to build financial capability and assets for all; Strengthen the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Policy Brief). Grand Challenges for Social Work. https://grandchallengesforsocialwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/240730-CFPB_FCAB_PB_FINAL.pdf

Eliminate Racism, Reduce Extreme Economic Inequality, and Build Financial Capabilities and Assets for All; Universal Child Development Accounts to Develop All Children and Reduce Racial Wealth Inequality

Huang, J., Shanks, T. R., Teasley, M., Spencer, M., & Sherraden, M. (2024, July). Eliminate racism, reduce extreme economic inequality, and build financial capabilities and assets for all; Universal Child Development Accounts to develop all children and reduce racial wealth inequality (Policy Brief). Grand Challenges for Social Work. https://grandchallengesforsocialwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/240730-CDAs_FINAL.pdf

Child Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Advantaged Accounts Benefiting American Children: Testimony Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance

Elliott, W. (2024, May). Child Savings Accounts and other tax-advantaged accounts benefiting American children: Testimony Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (CSD Perspective No. 24-05). Washington University, Center for Social Development, and University of Michigan, Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion. https://doi.org/10.7936/ezhm-qb08

Disparate financial assistance support for small business owners

Small business owners experienced a drastic economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Government pandemic assistance failed to reach many small business owners, especially those historically underserved by financial institutions. Drawing on a 2021 survey of 246 small business owners, the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis descriptively examined the extent to […]

Employment Changes During COVID-19

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. unemployment peaked at 14.4%. While some workers have returned to payrolls, others have been left behind. This brief examines the nuances of employment changes over the course of the pandemic and the impact of those changes on household financial well-being. Our study finds that the proportion of employees who […]

The Case for a Nationwide Child Development Account Policy: A Policy Brief Developed by CDA Experts and Researchers

Cisneros, J., Clancy, M. M., Elliott, W., III, Feinstein, A., Kanter, M., Karcher-Ramos, M., Kugler, C., Peachey, J., Quint, C., Shapiro, T. M., & Sherraden, M. (2021, August). The case for a nationwide Child Development Account policy: A policy brief developed by CDA experts and researchers (CSD Policy Brief No. 21-20). Washington University, Center for Social Development.

Redesigning College Savings (529) Plans to Achieve Inclusive Child Development Accounts: A Policy Brief Developed by CDA Experts and Researchers

Cisneros, J., Clancy, M. M., Elliott, W., III, Feinstein, A., Kanter, M., Karcher-Ramos, M., Kugler, C., Peachey, J., Quint, C., Shapiro, T. M., & Sherraden, M. (2021, August). Redesigning college savings (529) plans to achieve inclusive Child Development Accounts: A policy brief developed by CDA experts and researchers (CSD Policy Brief No. 21-21). Washington University, Center for Social Development.

Financial Outcomes in a Child Development Account Experiment: Full Inclusion, Success Regardless of Race or Income, and Investment Growth for All

Clancy, M. M., Beverly, S. G., Schreiner, M., Huang, J., & Sherraden, M. (2021). Financial outcomes in a Child Development Account experiment: Full inclusion, success regardless of race or income, investment growth for all (CSD Research Summary 21-06). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/fnjg-n539

Fintech as a Solution for Employee Financial Health: Findings from Five Exploratory Studies

The financial technology (fintech) sector has grown rapidly in recent years. Awareness and use of fintech has grown as companies in this sector have increased their user-friendly design, convenience, and accessibility. A unique fintech niche that has developed rapidly alongside the overall industry is known as “employer-channel fintech.” Offered by employers, these solutions or benefits […]

From Financial Struggle to Short-Term Financial Relief – An Exploratory Study on Small-Dollar Lending for Low-and Moderate-Income Employees

In this study, we examined HoneyBee, a service company that provides access to 0% APR loans and financial coaching through the workplace. HoneyBee aims to offer employees in need a more affordable credit alternative to payday and auto title loans and therefore help addressing significant cash flow emergencies. Data for this exploratory study included 65 […]

Nudging Parents to Improve Children’s Oral Health: A Field Study

This research brief is part of a series by the Social Impact Nudgeathon initiative. This initiative incorporated insights from behavioral economics into the design and delivery of social welfare programs. Developed through a partnership between the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel (JDC-Israel) and the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis, this initiative is among the first of its kind to launch in Israel. […]

MI-SEED Investment Funds and Account Growth: Implications for Achieving Higher Rates of Return in CDA Programs

Shanks, T. R., & Meehan, P. (2021, February). MI-SEED investment funds and account growth: Implications for achieving higher rates of return in CDA programs (Research Brief No. 21-05). Washington University, Center for Social Development, and University of Michigan, Center for Equitable Family and Community Well-Being. https://doi.org/10.7936/50MK-H281

Employee Financial Wellness Programs: Tips for providers

There are several types of Employee Financial Wellness Programs (EFWPs), such as workplace financial counseling, workplace credit building, and employer-sponsored small dollar loans. Each program benefits the company and its employees in different ways. Washington University researchers, with generous support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, studied the implementation of EFWPs at several diverse organizations, including a nonprofit in the Midwest and several supply chain locations of a national retailer, to understand the impact. As a result, we’ve identified five ways in which providers can maximize the benefits of EFWPs and avoid pitfalls along the way.

Employee Financial Wellness Programs: Tips for employers

There are several types of Employee Financial Wellness Programs (EFWPs), such as workplace financial counseling, workplace credit building, and employer-sponsored small dollar loans. Each program benefits the company and its employees in different ways. The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, with generous support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, studied the implementation of EFWPs at several diverse organizations, including a nonprofit in the Midwest and several supply chain locations of a national retailer, to understand the impact. As a result, we’ve identified four ways in which organizations can maximize the benefits of EFWPs and avoid pitfalls along the way.

Improving the Take-Up of Homecare Services Among Holocaust Survivors in a Jewish Charitable Organization

This research brief is part of a series by the Social Impact Nudgeathon initiative. This initiative incorporated insights from behavioral economics into the design and delivery of social welfare programs. Developed through a partnership between the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel (JDC-Israel) and the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis, this initiative is among the first of its kind to launch in Israel. […]

How Do the Lives of Participants in a Housing Mobility Program Change after They Move? A Case Study of the Mobility Connection Program

This brief outlines the results of an assessment of Mobility Connection, a housing mobility program in St. Louis, Missouri. Mobility Connection is administered through Ascend STL and this assessment was conducted in partnership with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis. Our research focused on answering the following questions: To answer these […]

Credit-building services for employees: An assessment of engagement and outcomes

This is one research brief in a series of five completed through the Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project. In this study, we examine administrative data for national nonprofit Working Credit’s employee benefit, which combines credit building education, one-on-one counseling, and access to financial products to help workers establish good credit. Working Credit offers credit-building services […]

Workplace credit-building counseling at a Midwest employer: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes

This is one research brief in a series of five completed through the Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project. In this study, we focus on a workplace credit-building counseling program. This service is offered by a non-profit service provider that combines credit-building education, one-on-one counseling, and access to financial products to help low-income workers establish good […]

Financial counseling for low- and moderate-income home health care employees: An assessment of take-up, engagement, and outcomes

This is one research brief in a series of five completed through the Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project. In this study, we analyze administrative data and interviews regarding Trusted Advisor, a workplace financial wellness benefit offering one-on-one counseling linked to vetted financial tools. The purpose of this study was to examine take-up, engagement, and financial […]

Employee financial wellness programs: Differences in reach by financial circumstances

Workplace-based Employee Financial Wellness Programs (EFWPs) aim to strengthen employees’ financial well-being through services such as financial coaching, payroll advances and short term installment loans, credit counseling, debt management, and online financial management tools. Although EFWPs are a fast-growing part of employee benefit packages, offerings vary widely in service type and delivery method across employers, […]

Employee financial wellness programs: Differences in reach by race and ethnicity

Employee Financial Wellness Programs (EFWPs) consist of a wide array of workplace-based services and benefits that aim to enhance employees’ financial well-being, such as in-person financial coaching, online financial management tools, and payroll advances or short-term loans. EFWP provision varies across employers with few organizations offering the same set of services. The recently released Employee […]

Home delinquency rates are lower among ACA Marketplace households: Evidence from a natural experiment

This brief uses administrative income tax data coupled with survey responses from roughly 5,000 households living near the poverty line to estimate how access to the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance Marketplaces have affected households’ experiences of extreme illiquidity, which is measured by delinquencies on home payments. To estimate this relationship, we exploit a natural […]

Coping With a Crisis: Financial Resources Available to Low- and Moderate-Income Households in Emergencies

Perantie, D. C., Roll, S. P., Oliphant, J. E., Guo, S., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2017, February). Coping with a crisis: Financial resources available to low- and moderate-income households in emergencies (CSD Research Brief No. 17-11). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7M32V90

Policy Recommendations for Meeting the Grand Challenge to Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth

Hawkins, J. D., Jenson, J. M., DeVylder, J., Catalano, R. F., Botvin, G. J., Fraser, M., … Bumbarger, B. (2016, September). Policy recommendations for meeting the Grand Challenge to Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Policy Brief No. 1). Cleveland, OH: American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7NS0TDC

Policy Recommendations for Meeting the Grand Challenge to Advance Long and Productive Lives

Morrow-Howell, N., Gonzales, E., & Matz-Costa, C. (2016, September). Policy recommendations for meeting the Grand Challenge to Advance Long and Productive Lives (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Policy Brief No. 4). Cleveland, OH: American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7Q23ZR1

Policy Recommendations for Meeting the Grand Challenge to Eradicate Social Isolation

Brown, S., Casey, E. A., Crewe, S. E., Gironda, M., Johnson, C., Lubben, J., … Tracy, E. (2016, September). Policy recommendations for meeting the Grand Challenge to Eradicate Social Isolation (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Policy Brief No. 5). Cleveland, OH: American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7C828T7

Policy Recommendations for Meeting the Grand Challenge to Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment

Kemp, S. P., Mason, L. R., Palinkas, L. A., Rechkemmer, A., & Teixeira, S. (2016, September). Policy recommendations for meeting the Grand Challenge to Create Social Responses to a Changing Environment (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Policy Brief No. 7). Cleveland, OH: American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7GQ6X8V

Policy Recommendations for Meeting the Grand Challenge to Harness Technology for Social Good

Berzin, S. C., Coulton, C. J., Goerge, R., Hitchcock, L., Putnam-Hornstein, E., Sage, M., & Singer, J. (2016, September). Policy recommendations for meeting the Grand Challenge to Harness Technology for Social Good (Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative Policy Brief No. 8). Cleveland, OH: American Academy of Social Work & Social Welfare. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7930SPJ