Policy Perspective: Supporting Consumers in a Financial Health Crisis
Author: Dan Murphy One striking feature of the Covid-19 economic crisis is just how different it is from our most recent financial crisis. While the subprime mortgage crisis began with an immediate shock to financial markets, the economic crisis brought about by this pandemic began with an immediate shock to public health that quickly impacted…
Fintech and the Search for Full Stack Financial Inclusion
We’re encouraged by Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard’s commitment to financial health. During her remarks at FinTech, Financial Inclusion – and the Potential to Transform Financial Services, a conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Aspen Institute, she said, “This April, the Center for Financial Services Innovation announced the launch of a […]
Fintech and the Federal Government
By Kate Flocken, Financial Health Network For more than 40 years, public policy has been actively promoting financial inclusion and how to enable consumers to have better access to high quality financial services, but the federal and state governments alike have struggled to keep up with the fast pace of change. Last week the Financial…
Why the Center for Financial Services Innovation cares about a Universal Basic Income
By Rachel Schneider & Jennifer Tescher, Financial Health Network Sometimes, complex problems demand simple solutions. According to Financial Health Network’s research, 57% of Americans are financially unhealthy. The Pew Charitable Trust found that over 70% of Americans are income limited, savings constrained or debt challenged, and a third of Americans experience two or even three…
Why the CFPB’s Payday Regulations Need to be the Starting Point, not the End
By Rachel Schneider Senior Vice President, Financial Health Network Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its long-awaited proposed rules about payday lending. The CFPB is to be applauded for wading into the near-impossible task of trying to regulate this controversial product without causing harm to the millions of people who rely on…