FAMILY ECONOMICS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0213222
• Multistate No.: NC-52
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2005
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2010
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611

Performing Department
FAMILY, YOUTH & COMMUNITY SCIENCES

Non Technical Summary
Several emerging family economics issues exist. Communities and families today face critical economic issues in increasingly complex and diverse environments. Rural and urban families struggle to maintain economic stability in a changing economy. The population is aging and becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Financial concerns exist across the lifespan. Young adults face escalating costs of higher education, increasing indebtedness, and a rising number of bankruptcies. Midlife adults and elders are concerned with retirement income adequacy, rising health care costs, and management of elder care. A major purpose of this committee is facilitating collaboration among family economics researchers nationally and internationally. The committee provides a forum to examine research methodology and family economic issues in depth from a multidisciplinary perspective. The committee fosters development of research related to the economic well-being of individuals and families that is of interest to multiple institutions around the nation. For example, this committee recently served as a catalyst to launch two major regional research projects, NC 1011: Rural Low-Income Families: Tracking their Well-being and Function in an Era of Welfare Reform, and NC 1013: The Economic and Psychological Determinants of Household Savings.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

100%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
801	6010	3010	33%
801	6020	3010	34%
801	6099	3010	33%

Knowledge Area
801 - Individual and Family Resource Management;

Subject Of Investigation
6010 - Individuals; 6020 - The family and its members; 6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;

Keywords

family economics

priorities

think tank

Goals / Objectives
a. Set research priorities for multi-state and national work on emerging issues relevant to the economic well-being of families. b. Identify strategies to increase the rigor of the research methodology and empirical techniques used in the field of family economics. c. Provide an opportunity for scholars to build partnerships and develop grantsmanship skills to secure research funding from competitive grant programs. d. Develop methods for measuring and communicating impacts of family economic research through policy and practice changes. e. Assist in the dissemination of family economic and related research, via traditional Extension and new outreach opportunities, thereby educating professionals on issues relevant to improving family economic well-being and the sustainability of family and community systems.

Project Methods
The committee's anticipated activities for 2006-2007 include: 1. Creating a 1-page flyer identifying (a) the key research focus areas, (b) who we are, and (c) who to contact for more information. List serves and personal websites would be used to disseminate the flyer. The objective is to communicate and disseminate research priorities to family economists and possibly expand the network. 2. Placing the three research focus areas on each committee member s personal website. 3. Writing research briefs. During 2006-2007, all committee members will submit a research brief written by themselves and/or their colleagues. The briefs will be distributed to the family and consumer economics network and other stakeholders including: other colleagues, Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, educators (extension and resident instructors), funders/partners, government, and private institutions. 4. Organizing a session related to using large data sets at the 2007 NCCC052 meeting to expand researchers opportunities for conducting more rigorous research in the three focus areas. 5. Present research at relevant and appropriate conferences. Look for opportunities to host special research sessions in the three focus areas. 6. Set guidelines/benchmarks for measuring the aggregate impact and rigor of research being conducted at committee members institutions (i.e., quality of publications, presentations, grants).

Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Meeting held in December 2011, meeting was held in Minneapolis PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
As current chair, I am working on integrating our station reports and have will be aiding in an effort to better publicize relevant contemporary research. Presentation Gutter, M.S (2011), Status and Results of the NC 1172 Project, St. Paul, Minnesota. December 2011.

Publications

• ONeill, B., Zumwalt, A., Gutter, M., & Bechman, J., (2011). Financial education through social media: can you evaluate its impact? The Forum for Family and Consumer Issues, 16(1), Published Online http://ncsu.edu/ffci/publications/2011/v16-n1-2011-spring/oneil-zumwa lt-gutter-bechman.php

Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Last report should have been marked final. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Last report should have been marked final.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: I was unable to attend our team meeting this year. However, I did co-present an invited seminar on the status of Family Economics in the US to an audience at Haccetepe University in Ankara, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Zeynep Copur, Department of Family and Consumer Science, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey Dr. Sibel Erkal, Department of Family and Consumer Science, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey Elaine Courtney, Extension Agent IV Okaloosa County, IFAS, University of Florida Extension TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
At the request of this committee I as a member of the NCC 1172 committee assisted in modifying our instrument we were about to use for collecting data to include a few questions on how health status may influence financial decision making.

Publications

• Gutter, M.S. and Courtney, E. (2010), Overview of Family Economic Outreach in the US. Symposium Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. October 2010.

Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: I organized the annual meeting in cooperation with Craig Gunderson. UF hosted the meeting in Jacksonville. Dr. Zeynep Copur provided a presentation on the status of Family Economics in Turkey I provided a presentation on my research entitled "Effectiveness of State High School Financial Education Policies" PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The results of this meeting helped me refine one of my working papers. Several collaborations began for further research on the issue of economic socialization.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Statewide training for Managing During Tough Times - this was to train our educators and partners on the new MiTT publication and available PowerPoint. The training included the different ways in which this publication could be used in their counties. Conduct data of 15 campuses across the United States to obtain a preliminary sample of 17,000 collect students representing 6 different categories of high school financial education policies. Worked with local county educators to create a young investor website Worked with 4-H to provide updated scenarios for the Consumer Choices competion which was used at county fairs. PARTICIPANTS: The entire FYCS department worked on the MiTT publication. Faculty served as co-authors and reviewers for the publication. Selena Garrison (MS Student) worked on the Consumer Choices publication with consultation from Joy Jordan. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Using resources provided by the Dean of Extension, we were able to print 10,000 copies of the MiTT publication. All of these were distirbuted to families in Florida through Extension offices, programs, and partners. This was accomplished through displays as well as group classes.

Publications

• Gutter, M.S. and Hatcher, C.B. (2008). Racial differences in the demand for life insurance. Journal of Risk and Insurance, 75(3) 677-689.
• Gutter, M.S., Hayhoe, C. & Wang, L. (2007) Examining Participation Behavior in Defined Contribution Plans using the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change Financial Counseling and Planning 18(1), 46-60.
• Mountain, T.P. and Gutter, M.S. (2007). Impacts of Race and Ethnicity on Retirement Adequacy, Life Insurance Adequacy, and Dual Adequacy. Status: Accepted for Presentation at 2007 AFCPE
• Renner, C. and Gutter, M.S. (2007). Exploring Perceived Norms, Financial Education and College Student Behavior Status: Accepted for Presentation at 2007 AFCPE
• Gutter, M.S. & Zhu, D. (2007). Are Perceptions of Retirement Financial Resource Adequacy Consistent with Estimated Ex Ante Financial Resource Retirement Adequacy Status: Accepted for Presentation at 2007 AFCPE
• Gutter, M.S. and Mountain, T.P. (2007). Understanding Minority Preferences for Investor Education: Results from African-American and Hispanic Focus Groups Status: Accepted for Presentation at 2007 AFS
• Zhu, D. & Gutter (2007). An Exploration of the Relationship of Debt and Retirement Planning for Full-Time Workers Status: Accepted for Presentation at 2007 AFS
• Gutter, M.S., Hayhoe, C. & DeVaney, S. (2008) Economic and Psychological Determinants of Savings Behavior: A Conceptual Model Consumer Interests Annual, 54
• Gutter, M.S., Eisen, J., & Way, W. (2008) Financial Management Practices of College Students from States with Varying Financial Education Mandates. Consumer Interests Annual, 54
• Copur, Z. Gutter, M.S., Eisen, J., & Way, W. (2008). Exploring the Relationship between Financial Behaviors and Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being of College Students Consumer Interests Annual, 54.
• Managing During Tough Times (2008). flipbook. IFAS Publication, University of Florida
• Gutter, M. S. 2007. How to Prevent Foreclosure on Your Home. Gainesville, Florida: IFAS/EDIS. 3 pp. HE724. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HE724.
• Gutter, M. S. & Walker, K. 2007. Goals and Standards in Resource Management. Gainesville, Florida: IFAS/EDIS. 5 pp. HE 169.
• Elmore, J.P., Gutter, M.S., & Mountain, T.P. (2008). YOU and YOUR CREDIT: Credit Dos and Don'ts. Gainesville, Florida: IFAS/EDIS. 2 pp.