National Financial Capability Study

In consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and President Bush's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, the FINRA Investor Education Foundation commissioned the first national study of the financial capability of American adults in 2009. The overarching research objectives of the National Financial Capability Study were to benchmark key indicators of financial capability and evaluate how these indicators vary with underlying demographic, behavioral, attitudinal and financial literacy characteristics. The 2012 Study—similarly developed in consultation with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, other federal agencies and President Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability—aims to update key measures from the 2009 Study and to deepen exploration of topics that are highly relevant today (e.g., student loans and medical debt).