Protect

This website provides information that can help you and your family adapt to tough economic times. The features resources include brochures, articles, and links to other pages about money management.

Instructional materials and tools that can increase your understanding of the Federal Reserve system, economics and financial education. All of the Fed web sites, curriculum, newsletters, booklets and other resources are free.

Under the federal Consumer Leasing Act, you, the consumer, have a right to information about the costs and terms of a vehicle lease. This resource will help you compare lease offers and negotiate a lease that best fits your needs, budget, and driving patterns.

Information on how to obtain your credit report, how credit scores are determined, how to verify reported information, and how to improve and maintain a good credit score.

Website with information on how the Federal Reserve can help If you have a problem with a bank or other financial institution. You can file your complaint using the online complaint form on the site or download and send your complaint via fax or mail using our PDF form.

If you are having difficulty making your mortgage payment, one of the most important things you can do is seek assistance. This website provides information and links to agencies and organizations that may be able to help you with mortgage payments and keep your home.

Abstract: American women tend to be less financially literate than men, which is consistent with a household division of labor in which men manage finances. However, women also tend to outlive their husbands, so they will eventually need to take over this task. Using a new survey of older couples, I find that women acquire financial literacy as they approach widowhood. At an estimated increase of 0.04 standard deviations per year approaching widowhood, 80 percent of women in the sample would catch up with their husbands prior to the expected onset of widowhood.

We present new experimental evidence on heterogeneity in the formation of inflation expectations and relate the variation to economic literacy and demographics. The experimental design allows us to investigate two channels through which expectations-formation may vary across individuals: (1) the choice of information and (2) the use of given information. Subjects who are more economically literate perform better along both dimensions—they choose more-relevant information and make better use of given information.

Household financial planning can be challenging and household members often lack basic financial literacy skills. This paper discusses the potential and pitfalls of one approach to solving these problems—the development and dissemination of financial guidelines simple enough to be explained in graphic form. The discussion is motivated by the history of nutritional guidelines, namely the Food Pyramid and MyPlate.