Researchers examine the costs, benefits, challenges and policy implications of the widespread use by states of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) technology to distribute welfare benefits. This paper seeks to advance public understanding of the development of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) … Continued

A decision to save taxpayer money by delivering government benefits electronically could help bring low-income people into the financial mainstream. Michael A. Stegman writes a chapter for Housing and Social Change: East-West Perspectives that traces the rise of financial institutions … Continued

Researchers examine the potential sustainability of the business model underlying the electronic banking product offered for low-income customers by South Africa’s second largest retail bank. This paper describes the implementation and status of Standard Bank’s E Plan. Standard Bank is … Continued

Researchers examine the explosive growth of payday lending as a source of short-term consumer credit in low-income communities and the high incidence of perpetual indebtedness of payday borrowers. The tremendous growth in the demand for very small, short-term loans by … Continued

Center researchers examine a partnership between a federal credit union and a retail check casher to expand financial services for lower-income consumers. Center researchers writing for Fannie Mae Foundation’s magazine, BuildingBlocks, outline the financial services environment that enabled the emergence … Continued

The government sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, should look to community lending products to help expand their homeownership opportunities to underserved populations. These products are more flexible than the GSE affordable offerings and more likely to reach women, … Continued

With some innovative changes, public housing is making a comeback. If new spending is a reasonable measure of the country’s priorities, then few areas of domestic national policy have experienced as dramatic a decline in favor over the past 25 … Continued

Researchers find the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) service test provides minimal incentive for banks to serve unbanked and underserved populations and recommends 10 reforms to strengthen CRA as a tool for helping more families enter the financial mainstream. Financial services … Continued

Housing policy should be broadened to address the problems of working families as well as those of the poor, especially when dealing with problems arising from rapid economic growth. In this study, we present an analysis of the impacts of … Continued

The Community Reinvestment Act service test could provide important incentives for banks to serve the unbanked and underbanked populations. The significant number of families in the United States who do not have a bank account or who use “fringe” financial … Continued