Focus groups and/or interviews

A one-page infographic with steps you can take to prepare you and your family financially for a disaster

Be prepared before a disaster strikes your community or small business. As part of a series of focus groups, the Kansas City Fed has developed an array of materials to help you be prepared before and after a disaster. Toolkit includes financial inventory forms, checklists, resources and Spanish-language resources.

This brief shares lessons learned about integrating financial capability services into existing programs at four organizations serving rural communities. Financial capability is the capacity—based on knowledge, skills, and access—to manage financial resources effectively. This brief is organized into three sections: selecting financial capability services, deciding who will provide services, and identifying the right points in time to integrate financial capability services.

Consumers can use this printable guide to navigate the auto financing process, including budgeting considerations, understanding the auto finance process, shopping for an auto loan, negotiating and closing the deal. The guide also emphasizes how to avoid common pitfalls. Financial educators can also use this guide to familiarize yourself with the auto finance process, so that you can provide helpful guidance to those you assist.

Worksheet to help consumers create their own customized financial rule of thumb for meeting savings goals.

Consumers can use this worksheet to compare loan offers, see the total cost, and negotiate the best deal on an auto loan. 

This report describes the results of focus groups with consumers on common financial guidelines. The CPFB learned that many consumers are aware of and interested in financial guidelines or rules of thumb. However, many consumers also face difficulties in acting on these rules, and were interested in customizing rules for their own situations – what we call “financial rules to live by.” 

CFPB recently talked with consumers and found that many of them aspire to manage their spending better. We heard that people would like to use budgets and plans, but these tools can be hard to use in guiding spending decisions in the moment. Over 90 percent of the consumers CFPB talked with were interested in tools that could tell them how much money would be left in their budget if they bought something. These consumers said that spending feedback tools could help them curb impulse spending, manage spending on special occasions, and reduce uncertainty about their financial situation.

This report describes the results of focus groups with consumers on credit reports and scores. The report examines issues such as whether consumers were checking their credit scores and reports, how they were doing it, and what motivated them to check it.

Research paper on findings regarding consumer spending and financial management. Partner paper to worksheet and "Managing Spending: Ideas for Financial Educators" released by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB).