Researcher

Find research we’ve published and information we’ve collected about the consumer financial marketplace. Use these resources to improve your understanding of the marketplace.

Conducted biennially since 2009 partly in response to a statutory mandate, the survey is administered in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau and collects information on bank account ownership, use of prepaid cards and nonbank financial transaction services, and use of bank and nonbank credit by U.S. households.

The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It supports a set of widely reported monthly economic indicator statistics such as the national unemployment rate.

The Residential Finance Survey (RFS) was conducted in the year following the decennial census from 1951 – 2001. It is designed to provide data about the financing of nonfarm, privately owned, residential properties. The 2001 RFS was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A representative national sample of about 68,000 residential addresses was drawn from the address file for Census 2000.

The American Housing Survey (AHS) is the largest, regular national housing sample survey in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the AHS to obtain up-to-date housing statistics for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Although the focus of the AHS is on the housing unit (physical space), the survey captures a rich array of information about the individuals and households who occupy those units, including the financial implications of their housing choices.

SIPP provides comprehensive information about income and labor force participation for individuals and households in the United States, and the extent and principal determinants of their participation in government transfer payment and supplemental income programs. SIPP offers detailed information on cash and noncash income on a subannual basis. The survey also collects data on taxes, assets, liabilities, and participation in government transfer programs.

The SCPC is a nationally representative survey of consumers’ adoption and use of nine different payment instruments, including cash. The survey was developed by the Consumer Payments Research Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and is implemented by the RAND Corporation through its American Life Panel. It was designed to provide insights about the role of consumers in the transformation of payments from paper to electronic.

The SCF is conducted every three years to provide detailed information on the finances of U.S. families (households). The study is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Board in cooperation with the Department of the Treasury and is widely used by the Federal Reserve, other branches of the U.S. government and researchers worldwide for insights and analysis regarding U.S. household finances. Respondents are selected through a geographically based random sample and a special oversample of relatively wealthy families.

The Consumer Expenditure Survey collects information from households and families on their buying habits (expenditures), income, and household characteristics. The survey data are collected on an ongoing basis by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This nationwide household survey is designed to represent the total U.S. civilian noninstitutional population. The survey consists of two components, a quarterly Interview Survey and a weekly Diary Survey. In the Interview Survey, each consumer unit is interviewed every 3 months over five calendar quarters.

A report, Opportunities to Improve the Financial Capability and Financial Wellbeing of Postsecondary Students, has been prepared by the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC) and describes the state of financial education among postsecondary students.