Determining access to financial services among the young and poor in American communities

Authors

Komla Dzigbede, State University of New York at BinghamtonFollow
Sarah R. Young, Binghamton University--SUNYFollow

Abstract

This paper investigates access to financial services in American communities. It analyzes the access gap that the young and poor face relative to more economically advantaged and older groups in society. The paper uses data from the World Bank’s Global Financial Inclusion survey to create a multi-dimensional index of financial access and estimates a menu of quantitative models to gauge financial inclusion. Results show that young and poor people face substantial gaps in access to financial services when compared with older people, higher income individuals, more educated people, and individuals who are less vulnerable to future economic shocks. These findings expand understanding of the challenges that young and poor people face in U.S. financial markets and provide insights that can inform financial and social policies for greater financial inclusion and more sustainable communities.

Recommended Citation

Dzigbede, Komla and Young, Sarah R. (2019) "Determining access to financial services among the young and poor in American communities," Journal of Public Management & Social Policy: Vol. 26: No. 2, Article 11.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/jpmsp/vol26/iss2/11