Financial Inclusion in the United States — Issue Brief, June 2016
Summary
This June 2016 issue brief from the Council of Economic Advisers examines financial inclusion in the United States: access for “unbanked” households, which lack a bank account, and “underbanked” households, which have one but also rely on alternative financial services. It reports that in 2013, 93 percent of U.S. households had a bank account, up from 86 percent in 1989, and that among households with an account a full 20 percent were categorized as underbanked. In the bottom income quintile, 79 percent of households had a bank account in 2013, up from 56 percent in 1989. The brief uses the Federal Reserve’s 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances to estimate check-cashing fees paid by the roughly 7 percent of households that are unbanked. It also discusses how fintech companies, which often focus on a single service such as payments, may help expand financial inclusion.
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C O U N CI L O F E CO N O MI C A DV I S ER S I S SU E B RI E F
J UN E 2016
FINANCIAL INCLUSION IN THE UNITED STATES
Introduction such as rent, utilities, and mobile phone bills via low cost
credit.
In a range of areas in the economy it can be expensive to
be poor, with low income consumers paying more for A lack of financial inclusion has broader consequences
everything from diapers to canned soup. 1 One area for the macroeconomy, having the potential to hurt both
where these challenges are particularly prevalent is in equity and efficiency by reducing access to credit, which
finance. Lack of access to safe and affordable financial can be essential for entrepreneurship, homeownership,
services—which include payment settlement, credit and economic development more broadly. Over the past
intermediation, and maturity transformations, provided several decades there have been substantial
to consumers by a range of financial institutions—is not improvements in financial inclusion in the United States,
only costly but is also significantly more common for narrowing somewhat the gaps in inclusion that exist
lower-income households. These households are along racial, regional, and income lines. More recently, a
comprised of those referred to as “unbanked”—meaning range of new technologies have emerged that have the
they lack a bank account—and “underbanked”—those promise to offer new, safer and more affordable financial
that have a bank account but may supplement it with services to a larger swath of the population. Whereas
reliance 2 on alternative financial services. 3 banks and credit unions have historically provided three
categories of services to households—saving, borrowing,
Financial services that unbanked and underbanked and payment—new financial technology (or fintech)
households rely on include money orders, check cashing, companies often focus on a single service, and this
remittances, payday loans, auto title loans, refund- development may help expand financial inclusion.
anticipation loans, and pawn shop loans, with many of
these products sometimes generating higher interest We can do more to build on this progress, further
rates and fees than traditional banking services. The improve financial inclusion, and manage the exciting but
costs to those households that lack access to the challenging new developments in this area of the
mainstream financial system include the direct costs of financial system. The Administration as a whole and the
higher transaction fees or of short-term borrowing U.S. Department of the Treasury specifically have taken
(sometimes directly associated with these alternative important steps in this regard, putting a focus on the
services) as well as the indirect costs arising from their need to expand access to safe and affordable
reduced ability to handle unexpected shocks to income financial services for all, including low- and
or finance investments in education or small businesses. moderate income households, pursuing initiatives
Such households also have little to no ability to build such as the Financial Inclusion Forum 4, the Financial
credit histories or cover emergency critical expenses
1
For additional information on the difficulty that the poor subject—the ultimate goal of efforts aimed at increasing
face in purchasing simple necessities, consult the financial inclusion is not simply a rise in the share of
following blog post: households that rely on services provided by banks.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/03/10/diaper- Rather, the aim of expanding financial inclusion is to
divide and news article: provide more households with access to safe and
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016 affordable financial services. Although pursuing this goal
/03/08/why-the-poor-pay-more-for-toilet-paper-and- has historically involved expanding households’ reliance
just-about-everything-else/ on services provided by banks, recent financial
2
Importantly, unbanked households also may rely on innovation likely means that there is an important role
alternative financial services. for non-bank entities as well.
3
Despite the use of the terms “unbanked” and 4
More information on discussions that occurred at the
“underbanked” in this report—which derives in part from 2015 forum can be found here:
their use in several key data sources and reports on the
Empowerment Innovation Fund, and participation in the The increase in financialization and the innovative
G-20’s Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion. The activities and products of fintech firms raise important
Administration has also proposed in its 2017 Budget policy questions, including how best to continue working
pilots for new approaches that provide shorter and to raise financial inclusion by combining these new
longer term financial assistance and savings tools, to help products with safe and affordable methods of reaching
workers build up “rainy day” reserve funds. 5 And in 2011, the unbanked and underbanked.
the Administration helped establish the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an independent Key Takeaways
agency of the U.S. government that is responsible for
consumer protection in the financial sector. Addressing Being unbanked or underbanked is costly—and this lack
the digital divide, fostering financial capability 6, of access to safe and affordable financial services
supporting community development financial disproportionately affects households with the fewest
institutions (CDFIs), and encouraging partnerships resources.
between fintech firms and private or public sector
organizations are all ways to potentially expand access to • The unbanked pay anywhere from 1 to 5 percent in
safe and affordable financial services in the future. fees to cash a check (depending in part on whether it
is a paycheck or a government check since the latter
Increased financial inclusion may also partly reflect the come with lower risk for the check-casher). At an
overall rise in finance over the past 40 years—which is annual salary of $22,000 (the average for unbanked
often referred to as the “financialization” of the households), such fees can total over $1,000 a year in
economy—though this trend may have also played a extra costs for unbanked households. By contrast,
larger role in diversifying the financial services available annual fees for a checking account are typically a little
to consumers who already possessed a transactional over $100, although this figure also depends on the
financial account. Broadly speaking, the U.S. financial account holder’s spending habits.
sector, including securities, insurance, and credit • Unbanked and underbanked households also
intermediation, has grown substantially as a fraction of face additional costs due to their reliance on
GDP since the 1970s. While some aspects of other, non-mainstream financial services, such as
financialization may provide benefits to consumers, payday loans (used by roughly 5 percent of
including increased access to banking, financialization households in 2013) and auto title loans (used by
also comes with its own set of problems, including the roughly 0.6 percent of households in 2013),
risk of macroeconomic destabilization as occurred in the among other forms of so-called small dollar
recent financial crisis and the diversion of resources into credit. These products’ costs can be quite
less productive or even counterproductive areas. As substantial—anywhere from $10 to $30 in extra
highlighted in academic research and as indicated by costs per $100 borrowed in the case of payday
data analyzed below, there appear to be decreasing loans. 7 While higher than the costs of traditional
gains for financial inclusion for the economy as a whole financial services, these costs must be weighed
and more broadly there could even be losses from against the alternatives these households face in
financialization. Thus, it is unlikely that further increases obtaining credit (for example, no credit at all or
in financialization will lead to more financial inclusion. bank overdrafts).
https://www.treasury.gov/connect/blog/Documents/FI% loans of $375 each over the course of the year, spending
20Forum%202015%20What%20We%20Heard.pdf $525 in total on interest, for a total of just $17 per $100
5
For more information, see borrowed. According to the CFPB, the typical payday loan
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/bu is generally $500 or less and has a short term (e.g. 2
dget/fy2017/assets/opportunity.pdf weeks). The fee described above amounts to an APR of
almost 400 percent, more than 10 times that of a typical
6
Defined by the President’s Advisory Council on Financial credit card. Admittedly, as will be noted later in this issue
Capability as “the capacity, based on knowledge, skills, brief, the regulatory implications of these costs are not
and access, to manage financial resources effectively.” immediately clear, as these non-traditional financial
7
This range is consistent with a Pew (2016) study that products provide a service to households that would not
reports that the average payday loan user borrows eight necessarily obtainable.
2
• Research suggests that financial inclusion can • These platforms may also reduce the non-
lead to better outcomes for both individuals and monetary costs of safe and affordable banking,
economies, including greater investment in preventing more of the underbanked from
education and businesses, better health, lower incurring the high monetary costs of alternative
inequality, and greater entrepreneurship. financial services – though in many cases they
would need broadband or cellphone access.
Financial inclusion has been on the rise across all
demographics. The rise in financial inclusion and fintech may partly
reflect the increase in financial activity as a share of
• In 2013, 93 percent of U.S. households had a bank total economic activity in the United States in recent
account, up from 86 percent in 1989.
decades.
• Among households with a bank account, a full 20
percent were categorized as underbanked in • Value added by the financial sector has grown
2013. from 4.1 percent of GDP in 1970 to 7.1 percent of
• In 2013, 79 percent of U.S. households in the GDP in 2015. This is down somewhat from its high
bottom income quintile had a bank account, up of 7.7 percent in 2001.
from 56 percent in 1989. • Similarly, over this same time period, financial
• In 2013, 87 percent of minority U.S. households, assets as a share of GDP have climbed from
including Hispanic and non-white households, roughly 5 percent to more than 11 percent as of
had a bank account, up from about 65 percent in 2015. The ratio financial assets to tangible assets
1989. has approximately doubled during this 45-year
• Financial inclusion has also increased across all period as well.
geographies; while the South still lags other • While in a cross-section of countries, a rise in
regions, the difference has diminished. financialization seems to coincide with increased
financial inclusion, returns in this area appear to
The financial technology, or “fintech,” industry has be diminishing at the level of financialization in
grown rapidly in recent years and may potentially the United States, raising the importance of other
increase access to or diversity of financial services ways to expand financial inclusion.
to both households with a bank account and those
without. The Financial System
• Fintech is growing rapidly—there were over An effective financial system is a vital component of any
2,000 U.S. fintech start-ups in February 2016, up economy. Financial institutions provide a variety of
from 800 in April 2015, and fintech venture services, including a reliable place for households to
capital funding hit an all-time high in 2015. store funds and also payment settlement—when
• Use of such platforms has been further facilitated customer accounts are either credited or debited
by growth in mobile phone and smartphone depending on which side of the transaction they are on—
adoption. In the United States, mobile phone and credit intermediation—when a financial institution
ownership has grown from 65 percent of the pools together money from its depositors to lend out to
population in 2004 to 92 percent of the borrowers. Financial institutions also engage in maturity
population in 2015, and smartphone ownership transformation. They manage their cash flows in a way
has grown from 35 percent of the population in that allows them to borrow money on short time
2011 to 68 percent of the population in 2015. frames—for example from short term investors via
• Slightly more than half (53 percent) of certificates of deposits or demand deposits like saving
smartphone owners with bank accounts had used and checking accounts—but then lend money to
mobile banking in the last year, according to a borrowers who require financing on a longer term
2015 survey conducted by the Federal Reserve basis—for example a homeowner needing a 30-year
Board of Governors. The same survey found that mortgage, or a small business needing a multi-year
40 percent of the unbanked had a smartphone, as business loan. Financial institutions also diversify risk.
did 70 percent of underbanked individuals. The fact that they lend to many different borrowers
3
means that they are less exposed to problems with any (as well as those whose financial resources are tied up in
one loan than, for instance, an individual making a more illiquid assets like cars and homes) often turn to
personal loan to just one borrower. nontraditional financial products and services to cover
even basic expenses. Many of the households that fall
Expanded financial markets bring potential opportunities into this category have impaired credit histories and
and challenges. Economic research has linked the would fall into the “subprime” category. The products
development of financial systems to economic growth and services that these individuals may obtain from both
and entrepreneurship (King and Levine 1993a, 1993b). 8 bank and non-bank providers typically include money
Households gain enhanced opportunities to smooth orders, check cashing, remittances, payday loans, auto
consumption over time or buy a home. Financial title loans, and pawn shop loans (collectively known as
institutions serve other purposes as well. Savings can be small-dollar credit). In the absence of safe and affordable
channeled more efficiently from households to banking services—whether by a consumer’s choice or
businesses with productive investment opportunities. lack of access—these alternative services can serve as a
Securitization allows loan originators to pool risks and source of liquidity for so-called unbanked and
transfer them to investors with greater ability and underbanked households. Indeed, a recent Federal
willingness to bear those risks, allowing for Reserve Board Survey found that approximately one
diversification and a lower cost of capital to firms. quarter of individuals—regardless of credit history and
Trading activities can enhance market liquidity, increase banking status—would turn to these kinds of products
the ability of prices to convey timely information, and aid and services to cover a hypothetical unexpected $400
in price discovery. And these gains may be magnified expense or would be unable to altogether (Federal
when financial activity occurs across larger markets, Reserve Board 2016b). Without such an option, then, a
especially a global market. But in some cases these sizable portion of individuals and households would lack
advantages can come at the cost of increasing financial access to any source of cash in an emergency. However,
fragility—as indicated by the recent financial crisis, there some of the costs and practices associated with these
can be a larger financial sector can pose greater risks to nontraditional financial services can raise important
overall economic health. Similarly, while credit can consumer protection concerns.
sometimes help facilitate household investments, too
much debt may cause households to cut back Not having access to financial services comes with two
substantially on their spending following an adverse principal kinds of monetary costs, one involving the fees
financial shock, as happened to many indebted associated with check cashing and the other resulting
homeowners following the financial crisis (Dynan 2012). from the additional charges incurred by using small
dollar credit. 9 We estimate the former source of costs by
What Happens Without Access to Financial using the Federal Reserve’s 2013 Survey of Consumer
Services? Finances (SCF) to calculate the average check-cashing
fees faced by the roughly 7 percent of households that
Households in the United States who lack access to, or are unbanked. According to this survey, the average
choose not to use, safe and affordable financial services household income for households without a checking
8
Kerr and Nanda (2009) use staggered, state-by-state distribution. Chatterji and Seamans (2012) use state-level
adoption of bank branching deregulation across the credit card deregulation in the 1970s and 1980s to show
United States in the 1980s and 1990s as a quasi-natural that increased access to credit card financing led to
experiment to show that increased access to bank increased entrepreneurship, particularly among black
financing led to an increase in entrepreneurial entry. They entrepreneurs. Other research using similar types of
argue that bank branching deregulation led not only to quasi-natural experiments shows that increases in access
bank branches in previously unserved areas but also to to finance led to a decrease in rural poverty in India
more bank branches and hence competition between (Burgess and Pande 2005) and to reduction in poverty in
banks in other areas. Using the same approach, Beck, Mexico (Bruhn and Love 2014).
Levine, and Levkov (2010) show that bank branching 9
Our calculations here do not even include the additional
deregulation led to a tightening of the income charges that come from being late on payments, discussed
distribution, particularly by raising the incomes of in more detail below.
households in the bottom quartile of the income
4
account is $22,000. Check cashing services are estimated These unconventional financial products also raise
to cost anywhere from 1 to 5 percent of the value of substantial consumer protection concerns, particularly if
payroll and government benefits, 10 amounting to we consider the costs that arise if households do not
between $220 and $1,100 in extra fees annually for the make their payments on time. In the case of title loans in
average family without a checking account that particular, Levy and Sledge (2012) report that nearly one-
exclusively uses these services. 11 Alternately, research by third of title loan users do not repay the loans on their
the St. Louis Fed estimates that these extra fees would original terms, with an average of three refinancing
amount to as much as $1,200 annually for a hypothetical events. Some portion of this behavior may arise from the
household (Beard 2010). By contrast, households with low level of financial knowledge, or financial capability, 15
checking accounts pay a median amount of $104 in total of unbanked or underbanked households. Such a
fees annually, according to one estimate (Stango and knowledge gap may be particularly important for
Zinman 2009).12 Another study, by the personal finance younger individuals and households, since they are are
website WalletHub, estimates that the typical consumer often more likely to be unbanked or underbanked.
would on average pay $151 in checking account fees According to one survey, the 2015 National Financial
annually (Comoreanu 2015). Capability Survey, conducted by the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority and cited by the interagency
Small dollar credit is even more costly, even though Financial Literacy and Education Commission, only 30
relatively few people use these services when compared percent of Millennials (ages 18-34) self-reported their
to the population of under or unbanked households. financial skills as “very strong,” and just 22 percent had
According to the 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2013 Surveys of received formal financial education. At the same time,
Consumer Finance, the share of the population using only 1 in 3 reported having enough savings to cover an
non-installment auto loans (a broader category that unexpected expense (Financial Literacy and Education
includes auto title loans) was never higher than 0.6 Commission 2015). In addition, behavioral economics
percent between 2004 and 2013, while the fraction using research has shown that consumers can be
payday loans has been around 5 percent during the same overoptimistic about their ability to make loan
timeframe—roughly the same share of the population payments. As a result, alternative financial products have
that access small-dollar credit of any kind in a given year the potential to increase households’ financial distress
(Bianchi and Levy 2013).13 Nevertheless, title loans often and reduce borrowers’ creditworthiness, further
have interest rates around 300 percent when expressed reducing their ability to obtain conventional credit,
as an annual percentage rate (APR) and the most banking services, or employment in the future
common term is one month (Fritzdixon, Hawkins, and (Brunnermeier and Parker 2005; Fritzdixon, Hawkins,
Skiba 2014) 14 – similar to payday loans, which average a and Skiba 2014; Skiba and Tobacman 2008, Melzer and
18.3-day term and 339 percent APR (CFPB 2013). Fees on Morgan 2009, Carrell and Zinman 2014).
payday loans can range between $10 and $30 per $100
borrowed.
10
The St. Louis Fed reports a range of 2.5 to 3 percent for 13
The total volume of such loans is also relatively low—
a government benefits check and 4 to 5 percent for a the market for short horizon credit was at roughly $21.4
payroll check, while the FDIC reports a range of 1 to 4 billion in 2012 (Wolkowitz and Oh 2013), and the volume
percent for both. (See of all automobile asset-backed securities issuance totaled
https://www.stlouisfed.org/Publications/Central- under $100 billion as of 2014.
Banker/Winter-2010/Reaching-the-Unbanked-and- 14
An exception on the APR exists for military service
Underbanked and members. Under current Military Lending Act regulations,
https://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/quarterly/2009_vo title loans made to service members with payment terms
l3_1/AltFinServicesprimer.html.) under six months may not have an APR above 36 percent,
11
Annual fees are calculated as 0.01*$22,000 = $220 and and the proposed regulation released last year would
0.05*$22,000 = $1,100. expand the interest rate cap and add additional consumer
12
Total monthly checking account fees for the 50th protections to all types of title loans.
percentile is $8.71, according to Table 1 of Stango and 15
Defined by the President’s Advisory Council on Financial
Zinman (2009). Therefore, annual fees are $8.71*12 = Capability as “the capacity, based on knowledge, skills,
$104. and access, to manage financial resources effectively.”
5
Despite the potentially adverse impacts that arise from a the individual level, including greater investment in both
reliance on unconventional sources of small dollar credit, education and businesses (e.g., Brune, Giné, Goldberg,
these products provide a source of funds for households and Yang 2011), better health (e.g., Dupas and Robinson
who might not otherwise be able to cover such crucial 2013), and female empowerment (e.g., Ashraf, Karlan,
but often unanticipated expenses as emergency medical and Yin 2010). At the economy-wide level, financial
treatment, funeral and burial preparations, and urgent inclusion also has been linked to lower inequality (e.g.
home or automobile repairs, or sometimes even to cover Beck, Demirgüç-Kunt and Levine 2007) and greater
regular expenses. These types of products often take the entrepreneurship, especially for those with existing
place of conventional accounts. 16 As a result, and as we businesses that then gain access to financial services for
explore in the next section, it makes sense to measure the first time (Demirgüç-Kunt and Klapper 2013;
financial inclusion and exclusion by examining the share Banerjee et al. 2010; Karlan and Zinman 2010). Financial
of households that do and do not have a transaction inclusion also is correlated with economic development
account. 17 more broadly. Account penetration is almost double in
countries with a GDP per capita of $15,000 or higher, and
Moreover, some households depend on access to small- national income per capita accounts for 70 percent of the
dollar credit not just for big, one-time expenditures but variation among a country’s share of adults with a formal
also for covering general, day-to-day living expenses, account (Demirgüç-Kunt and Klapper 2013).
such as rent and utility payments. One survey found that
2 in 5 title loan users report using the borrowed funds for The mechanisms through which financial inclusion leads
rent or utilities while about a quarter of borrowers used to these benefits are less clear. Recent research has
the loan for medical expenses or car repairs (Fritzdixon, highlighted that behavioral factors are likely important.
Hawkins, and Skiba 2014). This pattern of usage For example, when an individual has access to a product
emphasizes the need for policies, technologies, and or service that facilitates savings, it serves as a
regulations that go beyond protecting consumers from commitment device to save (Thaler and Benartzi 2004;
the harms of small-dollar credit to provide new ways in Choi, Laibson and Madrian 2011). Also, when individuals
which more Americans can access safe and affordable are “reminded” of saving, they pay more attention to
financial services. saving, and save more (Kast, Meieer and Pomeranz
2012). Karlan, Ratan and Zinman (2014) therefore
Benefits of Financial Inclusion question whether formal financial services are necessary
to reap the benefits of financial inclusion, or whether less
Economic research suggests that financial inclusion can formal approaches will suffice. Overall, more research is
provide economic benefits. For example, putting aside needed to better understand the mechanisms through
income in the form of savings accounts with safe and which financial inclusion affects individual outcomes,
affordable financial services providers enables including more research replicating country-specific
households to cover unexpected or occasional expenses findings in other settings, including the United States.
when they arise as well as store income that is in excess
of typical consumption levels. Households can thus be Despite the many benefits to financial inclusion, there
said to be “smoothing” their consumption, something are a number of barriers. One potential barrier is the
that is far more difficult to do in the absence of access to upfront cost associated with opening a bank account,
financial services (e.g., Ruiz 2013). Financial inclusion can including fees associated with opening an account,
potentially lead to many other beneficial outcomes at minimum balance requirements, and gathering the
necessary documentation and proof of identity, as well
16
Levy and Sledge (2012) also find that households using Federal Reserve Board’s Survey of Consumer Finances and
small-dollar credit typically have lower levels of collected at the household level (the former) from the
educational attainment and larger than average World Bank’s 2014 Global Findex survey (the latter) that
household size. The vast majority of small dollar credit captures both accounts at banks/financial institutions and
users also lack credit cards, in part due to their low credit at mobile money providers and, representative at the
scores. individual level.
17
The phrase “transaction account” is used distinctly from
“formal account” to differentiate an item reported in the
6
as the opportunity costs associated with opening an Multiple factors likely have led to the increase in financial
account or traveling to a bank branch to conduct inclusion over time, potentially including growing
business (Ashraf, Karlan, and Yin 2006). Other barriers financial capability, direct deposit (and increased use of
potentially include distrust of banks and lack of financial direct deposit by government programs), and funds
capability, though the causal link between financial directed to community development financial
inclusion and these barriers is not entirely clear (Karlan, institutions (CDFIs), among others. For example, direct
Ratan and Zinman 2014; Fernandes, Lynch and deposit by businesses to employees typically requires
Netemeyer 2014). Again, more research is needed to employees to have a bank account. CDFIs predominantly
better understand the extent to which the findings from serve low-income communities through business as well
these studies replicate across other settings, including as consumer loans (Swack, Hangen, and Northrup 2014).
the United States. Over the past seven years, the Obama Administration
has made substantial investments in the CDFI Fund,
Financial Inclusion Trends in the United growing its appropriations by 115 percent, increasing
States CDFI Program awards by 70 percent, and increasing the
overall number of CDFIs by 20 percent.
The most accurate source of data (as well as the one that
covers the longest timespan) for measuring the extent of These SCF data also can be decomposed by a variety of
financial inclusion in the United States nationwide is the relevant demographics, including household income and
Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the educational attainment of the head of the
available through 2013. One item on the SCF asks household. Households towards the bottom half of the
responding families whether they have a transaction income distribution exhibit a markedly lower rate of
account and thus represents those families who have an financial inclusion—as measured by the share of the
account (i.e. are not “unbanked”) at that point in time— population with a transaction account—than households
that is, the households that do and do not have accounts above the 60th percentile (Figure 2). Above the 60th
are not stable over time. As can be seen from Figure 1, percentile for household income, there is near-complete
the share of families with such accounts has been on the adoption of transaction accounts—and this fact has
rise since the time when data were first collected. As of persisted since 1989. The bulk of the increase in the
2013, 93.2 percent of families had these accounts, up share of families with accounts comes at the bottom of
from 85.5 percent in 1989. However, the median value in the distribution, while households above the 60th
these accounts, adjusted for inflation has on net been percentile have accounts at each point in time since the
flat since 1989, with a notable increase in the 2000s but late 1980s.
then declines following the recessions of 2001 and 2007-
2009.
Figure 1: U.S. Families with Transaction Accounts, 1989-2013
Percent of U.S. Families Thousands of 2013 dollars
94 6
2013
Share of Families 5.2 5.5
92 with Accounts Median Value of
4.7 5
Accounts for Families
90 4.5
4.3 with Holdings 4.5
4.1
88 3.8 3.7 3.8 4
3.2 3.5
86
3
84
2.5
82 2
1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013
Source: Federal Reserve Board Survey of Consumer Finances (triennially, 1989 - 2013)
7
Similarly, households headed by an individual with less
than a high school education possess transaction
accounts at substantially lower rates (Figure 3).
Additional education at the upper end of the distribution
(i.e. completing college vs. attending for a couple of
years) appears to be correlated with a slight increase
when it comes to access to or usage of banking services.
Not graduating high school appears to be particularly
correlated with a low likelihood of holding a transaction
account. It is important to note, however, that education
is likely to be highly correlated with income, and so
Figures 2 and 3 may in fact be telling similar stories about
the status of financial inclusion in the United States.
Examining ownership of transaction accounts by the four
major regions of the United States (Northeast, South,
Midwest, and West) reveals that there is currently not a
substantial amount of variation at this level of
geographic resolution (Figure 5a). Beginning in 2007,
over 90 percent of households in all four of these regions
hold such accounts. This distribution, however, was not
always present. Families in the South in particular lagged
their counterparts in other regions in terms of holding
such accounts—fewer than 80 percent of southern
families had transaction accounts in 1989, resulting in a
gap of almost 10 percentage points compared with
households in other regions. This gap had largely
evaporated by the mid-2000s. When comparing not
Yet another way of decomposing ownership of regions but instead families that live in urban areas
transaction accounts is to do so by race. Figure 4 against those in rural ones, there is little meaningful
demonstrates how households headed by a white, non- difference in the percent of households with transaction
Hispanic person possess transaction accounts at higher accounts in each group (Figure 5b).
rates than those with nonwhite or Hispanic heads.
Importantly, however, since 1989, this gap has narrowed
from almost 30 percentage points to less than 10 as of
2013.
8
attainment, the lowest incomes, Hispanics, African
Americans, or young Americans all experience unbanked
or underbanked rates in excess of the national average. 20
Recent Consumer Finance Innovations
Recent technology innovations in consumer finance,
including so-called “fintech” innovations, may have
important implications in the near future for the financial
prospects of unbanked and underbanked households.
McKinsey has estimated that there were over 2000
fintech start-ups as of February 2016, up from 800 in
April 2015. Much of the rapid growth in fintech startups
are aimed at addressing retail customers (62 percent),
and the most common product is a payment solution
A separate survey, conducted by the FDIC offers insight (Dietz et al. 2016). 21 Also, it is notable that while much of
into the portion of the population that is referred to as the venture capital financing of fintech startups is
“underbanked.” Whereas unbanked households 18 are focused in the United States, many interesting financial
those that do not possess a bank account, underbanked inclusion solutions are taking root in other countries
households are defined by the FDIC as those that may (Dietz et al. 2016).
have a bank account but whose usage of
nonconventional financial products and services that fall Technology-based payment approaches include digital
under the broad category of small-dollar credit suggest wallets and “peer to peer” payment. Notably, most of
that their ability to use conventional financial services these approaches require a customer to link to an
alone is not sufficient to meet their financial needs. Data existing bank or credit card account, and therefore do
from the FDIC’s 2013 National Survey of Unbanked and not directly address financial inclusion, but may help
Underbanked Households indicates that the absolute increase financial capability. Online lending systems
level and relative share of unbanked households has connect individual lenders with individual borrowers.
increased somewhat between 2009 19 and 2013 (21.3 These platforms have seen rapid growth and reportedly
million vs. 24.8 million and 17.9 percent vs. 20.0 percent, have high repayment rates because of relatively low risk
respectively). borrowers who use these services. For example, the
average FICO score of a loan issued by one online lending
The trends presented in this section are notable for two system was more than 700 in 2015 which compares
reasons: (1) Although access to credit has declined favorably to average U.S. FICO scores of a bit below 700
somewhat since the Great Recession, access to (Lobanov 2016; FICO Blog 2015). Regulators are
transaction accounts has increased for lower-income increasing their focus on this emerging sector. In 2008
Americans; and (2) households with lower educational the SEC required online lenders to register their offerings
18
The SCF measure of transaction account ownership may have been counted as underbanked in 2013—
would be comparable to 100 minus the percent of without any change in their characteristics—as FDIC
households that are unbanked. broadened its definition of underbanked to include
19
This time span is not ideal for a reliable time series additional non-traditional financial products, most
analysis due to the Great Recession, but unfortunately, importantly auto title loans.
FDIC’s National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked 21
For retail customer solutions, 40 percent are focused on
Households does not extend back any further than 2009. payments, 23 percent on lending and financing, 21
20
There is some evidence from the FDIC data that the percent on financial assets, and the rest on account
increase in the underbanked rate in these groups is not management. For more information see McKinsey study
reflective of an actual shift in the population to becoming here: http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-
more unbanked but may instead be due in part to a shift services/our-insights/cutting-through-the-noise-around-
in how households are categorized. Households that had financial-technology
been categorized prior to 2011 as unbanked or banked
9
as securities, and in 2016 the New York Department of smartphones, while 70 percent of the underbanked did.
Financial Services started an investigation into online In addition, younger users and minorities, both of which
lenders to learn more about interest rates and are groups that are more likely to be unbanked or
underwriting standards (Schonfeld 2008; Barlyn 2016). underbanked, are also more likely than their older and
non-Hispanic white counterparts, respectively, to use
The existence of the digital divide means that the very mobile banking services (Federal Reserve Board 2016a).
population that stands to benefit from financial The Federal Reserve also reports that consumers use
innovation cannot necessarily do so if such innovation is their smartphones to inform their financial decisions,
only accessible online. For example, less than 50 percent including adjusting behavior based on mobile banking
of households in the bottom quintile have access to alerts or balance updates. Thus, in the United States,
broadband at home. Recent Administration efforts to mobile phone and smartphone technology appears to be
address the digital divide—such as ConnectALL which a useful way to address financial inclusion by offering an
aims to connect 20 million more Americans by 2020— additional way to perform payment, as well as a way to
will indirectly help to increase financial inclusion by enhance savings.
addressing internet affordability and digital literacy
training. As highlighted by a recent Treasury report, Innovations that do not rely on advanced technologies
online lending provides an opportunity to expand access are especially important. One piece of evidence that
to credit to traditionally underserved markets. 22 The suggests unbanked households may benefit from non-
Treasury report highlights that it may be useful for CDFIs, technical innovation comes from prepaid credit cards,
which specialize in lending relationships with which can serve as a vital source of liquidity for
underserved consumers and businesses, to partner with individuals who either lack bank accounts or who do not
fintech firms to serve traditionally underserved markets. have credit histories that allow them to secure
conventional credit cards. Importantly, these services
One promising set of financial inclusion solutions relies make it impossible for the user to overspend his or her
on mobile phone and smartphones technology to deliver means. 23 Two others forms of innovation that are
payment services. While there is some international potentially welfare-enhancing are expansions in the
evidence to suggest that mobile phone and smartphone remittance system, which makes it possible for
adoption may be beneficial for financial inclusion in individuals to send funds internationally to family
developing countries, the potential for mobile phone members, and measures to combat fraud, such as chip-
technology to help address financial inclusion exists in and-pin verification for credit cards. Prepaid cards and
the United States as well. Mobile phone ownership has remittance services may carry hefty fees, however, but
grown from 65 percent of the population in 2004 to 92 here too, fintech innovators are seeking to change the
percent of the population in 2015, and smartphone market by lowering costs and improving the customer
ownership has grown from 35 percent of the population experience.
in 2011 to 68 percent of the population in 2015
(Anderson 2015). Research by the Federal Reserve
indicates that as of November 2015, 43 percent of all
mobile phone users with bank accounts use mobile
banking applications, while 24 percent use mobile
payments. Among the underbanked with mobile phones,
55 percent had used mobile banking in the past year
(Federal Reserve Board 2016a). This same survey reports
that 40 percent of unbanked individuals had
22
Report available here: which renders the phrase “credit card” a bit of a
https://www.treasury.gov/connect/blog/Documents/Op misnomer. They function more like debit cards, but
portunities_and_Challenges_in_Online_Marketplace_Len without the danger of overdrafting and without the need
ding_white_paper.pdf for a checking account to be attached to the card.
23
The downside to this feature is that individuals cannot
improve their credit scores by building a credit history,
10
The four panels of Figure 6 display data on web keyword reduce the workload on individual loan officers, thus
search interest by state for each of four of the biggest making the process go more quickly for borrowers and
prepaid debit or credit cards or the companies that financial institutions alike and potentially lowering the
provide them (y-axis) and plots it against the percent of costs to borrowers.
the population that is unbanked in that state (x-axis). We
obtain the former measures from Google Trends, which Financial System Growth and Innovation
reports the frequency with which a state’s internet users
search for each of the four companies or their products Several studies have linked rising financialization to
as a share of all Google searches from users in that state financial inclusion, though there is little reason to expect
for that company, and then is normalized by the state that more financialization will help address financial
that has the highest such share. 24 We construct the inclusion in the United States. Demirgüç-Kunt and
unbanked measure by taking the share of the state’s Klapper (2013) show that the relationship between a
population that are reported as unbanked in 2013 in the country’s domestic credit as a percent of GDP has a
FDIC’s Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked positive, statistically significant correlation with the
Households and then normalizing it by the state that has percent of adults that report having an account at a
the highest such share (Mississippi) so that it is formal financial institution. Figure 7 below uses a similar
comparable to the Google measure. We can observe a approach as Demirgüç-Kunt and Klapper (2013) and,
positive correlation between these two indices, as using data from over 120 developed and developing
calculated at the state level. Though more investigation countries, shows that there is a positive relationship
would admittedly be needed to discern whether there is (r=0.65) between the ratio of domestic credit to GDP and
in fact a causal relationship at work here, the figure is the percent of that country’s adults with a formal bank
suggestive of a heavier reliance on prepaid debit and account. 25
credit card companies by households that lack access to
conventional financial services.
Similarly, another financial innovation that has
benefitted consumers without requiring advanced
technological skills from them is the rise of so-called
automatic underwriting in lending, which uses
automated processes and algorithms to determine
creditworthiness. These algorithm-based systems
involve high-end technology on the back end, and have
the potential to make the overall lending system more
efficient and more equitable in some cases. Because a
human loan officer is not involved in many cases, bias
against certain types of borrowers cannot as easily affect
the lending decision. However, as highlighted in a recent
White House Report, there is potentially a danger that
these algorithms could continue to generate biased
results, including inadvertently. Because algorithmic
systems are often proprietary "black boxes,” it can be
challenging to detect bias unless there are forms of
technological transparency and accountability available
to loan seekers. Algorithm-based systems do, however,
24
Google describes this process here: Database):
https://support.google.com/trends/answer/4365533?hl= http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?sourc
en&ref_topic=4365599 e=1228. The relevant series is “Account (% age 15+) [ts].”
25
These data are available at the country level from the
World Bank’ Global Findex (Global Financial Inclusion
11
Figure 6: Interest in Online Financial Services by Company vs. Unbanked Population by State, 2013
Note: Each measure plotted above is indexed to the state with the highest share of unbanked households (x-axis) and the
highest frequency of Google searches for each company (y-axis)
Source: Google Trends; 2013 FDIC Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households.
The causality in this relationship is admittedly uncertain; relative to other countries, but given the already large
it could either be that having an account facilitates size of the financial sector, it is not clear recent or future
borrowing or that higher levels of borrowing require growth in the financial sector has or would expand
more accounts. However, as indicated by the curved financial inclusion. Recent growth in financialization
fitted line, the relationship decreases for higher ratios of appears to have had a bigger influence on the type, cost,
credit to GDP, that is, more credit only improves rates of and diversity of financial products available to
account possession up to a certain point (or vice versa). consumers rather than whether the marginal consumer
Over a certain level, then, there is little correlation has access to a banking account.
between financialization and inclusion. 26 The large size of
the financial sector in the United States may play a role
in the country’s relatively high level of financial inclusion
26
Below 120 percent of GDP, the correlation between
financialization and inclusion is 0.65; above 120 percent of
GDP, the correlation is 0.1
12
In the United States, financial deregulation and All three categories of financial services—securities,
innovation, as well as advances in information insurance, and credit intermediation—have increased
technology, have together fueled an expansion of since 1977. In the aggregate, financial services were
transactions and services related to credit and asset about 4.5 percent of U.S. GDP in 1977, but as of 2015
markets since at least the late 1970s. That expansion stood at about 7.1 percent, having fallen from about 7.7
reached its peak in the early 2000s (Figure 8). The most percent during the mid-2000s prior to the financial crisis.
basic measure of financial-sector size in the United States Credit intermediation peaked at about 3.7 percent of
is the share of GDP contributed by financial services, GDP in 2002-03, driven in part by mortgage originations,
comprising insurance, securities trading, and credit but by 2015 was only slightly (0.4 percentage point of
intermediation. This measure does not capture asset GDP) above its 1977 level of 2.4 percent of GDP. 28 The
stocks, such as outstanding mortgage credit; rather, it securities subsector also contracted slightly as a result of
gives the flow of value added from the activities of selling the 2007-2009 financial crisis, though not as dramatically
insurance, underwriting loans, and marketing securities, as credit intermediation. Greenwood and Scharfstein
among others. Figure 8 follows and updates Greenwood (2013) argue that the asset management subcomponent
and Scharfstein (2013), showing data from 1977 to of securities has grown in importance over time and by
2013. 27 2007 accounted for about half of the industry’s gross
output. Much of this is attributable to asset management
fees (traditional as well as alternative asset managers
such as hedge funds), which they estimate at normally
1.1 to 1.6 percent of assets under management. These
fees have grown quickly over time both because the
value of assets has grown over time, and the share of
these that are managed professionally has grown. Figure
9 illustrates the growth in the value of total U.S. financial
assets, relative to both GDP and U.S. nonfinancial
(tangible) assets. A take-off in financial asset growth
(from around 5 to nearly 12 times GDP) starts in the early
1980s.
27
Philippon and Reshef (2013) document similar patterns 28
Over a longer span of history, the financial sector
of financial sector growth relative to GDP in many other contracted from 1929 through 1945, at which time it
industrial countries. stood at about 2 percent of GDP, but then began a gradual
recovery after World War II.
13
“essentially all the growth in the credit intermediation
industry has come from transactional services, largely
reflected in fees associated with consumer and mortgage
credit”—as opposed to traditional banking services such
as business loans, which have been flat as a share of GDP.
Revenue from securitization likely has contributed to the
growth of credit in the United States, and has grown
symbiotically with non-bank portions of the financial
system—which are activities that provide bank-like
functions of maturity and liquidity transformation,
outside of the standard banking category. The sector
includes money market mutual funds, banks’ and
structured investment vehicles. The growth in these
services do not seem particularly connected to financial
inclusion either. They likely play a role in access to credit
Asset management likely has only little impact on the and the ability of households to enter the housing
ability of a household to access basic financial services. It market, but perhaps not their ability to have a bank
is more likely connected to the ability of already banked account or basic services.
households to engage in different wealth building
strategies. Professional management—for example, While financialization may not be playing an important
through easily available mutual funds or employer- role in financial inclusion at this point, it does provide
sponsored retirement plans—has made it easier for important services like access to broader financial
households to participate in securities markets and markets and credit for housing. But, it may signal that
diversify their wealth. The share of households owning simply expanding the financial sector may not be the
stock (including through retirement accounts) rose from best way to reach those that are still currently unbanked.
32 percent in 1989 to 47 percent in 2010, having peaked As suggested by Figure 7 above, beyond a certain point
at 52 percent in 2001 at the height of the Internet there are diminishing returns to increased
bubble. Whether the additional services being financialization. As the United States already has a large
provided—active management, advice, trading—provide and well-developed financial sector, with a domestic
better returns for consumers is questionable. Evidence credit to GDP ratio of nearly 200 percent, the connection
indicates that on average, active mutual fund managers between further financialization and inclusion is
do worse than passive benchmark investors, even before expected to be weak, based on the cross-country
accounting for the high fees they charge (Fama and evidence.
French 2010), and that individuals who trade actively
tend to mistime the market and lose money. There is also Conclusion
risk of substantial loss for individual consumers from high
fees or low returns. In 2016, the Department of Labor Financial inclusion has increased in the United States
took steps to protect consumers from conflicts of over the past 25 years across multiple demographic and
interest that harm the advice they receive, finalizing geographic categories, most notably race and income.
rules requiring retirement advisers to provide However, many households still lack access to the
investment advice in their clients’ best interest. 29 financial system. The impact of a lack of access to formal
finance is substantial. It can cost families anywhere from
While the growth implications of financial development $220 to $1,100 in extra fees simply to cash paychecks
are often phrased in terms of the ability to start when they lack transaction accounts—and these families
businesses, much of the recent financial growth has often have fewer resources available. In contrast, banked
centered on consumer access to credit. Greenwood and households pay an average of $104 annually, according
Scharfstein (2013, p. 20) observe that since 1980 to some estimates. In addition, unbanked households
29
Text of the rule is available at:
https://www.dol.gov/ebsa/regs/conflictsofinterest.html
14
face further costs to the extent that they rely on small- through which financial inclusion affects individual
dollar credit products in order to meet their liquidity outcomes, including replication of country-specific
needs, which often come with high interest payments findings in other settings, including the United States.
and late fees and can raise consumer protection
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File and source
- File
- discrimination-in-lending-evidence-from-the-paycheck-protection-program.pdf
- Size
- 669,231 bytes
- SHA-256
- 5a678d06696276f97d120362435abec738139d34e75410745cd47fb35caf1b9e
- Original
- No public link identified.