Recipient Organization
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
(N/A)
LOGAN,UT 84322
Performing Department
Cooperative Extension
Non Technical Summary
This project will supplement and enhance the work in progress by the NC 1172 multi-state research project, ?The Complex Nature of Saving: Economic and Psychological Factors,? by conducting a mailed survey instead of an electronic survey. Previous research has indicated that most participants in the America Saves campaign fail to achieve their savings goals. Results from this study should identify some of the problematic areas, and allow Consumer Federation of America (sponsor of America Saves) and others to develop and market strategies and materials that will help people adopt more productive saving behaviors.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The objective of this research is to provide a more comprehensive understanding of savings behavior by collecting data from participants who were unable to participate in the electronic survey. When combined with the results from the NC 1172 project's 2009 online survey, the results from this project will not only be a strong base from which to make recommendations that could improve the educational and coaching aspects of the American Saves program, but will also provide insight as to whether there is significant differences in participants who responded to the two types of surveys (i.e., electronic v. mailed). Thus, results of this project also will be useful to future researchers as they consider various surveying techniques.
Project Methods
Through a mailed survey the impact of socialization factors, financial knowledge, spending environment and life events, resources, psychological factors, demographics, and economic factors on objective and subjective measures of saving among the three groups of savers in the America Saves campaign (successful savers, moderate savers, and non‐savers) will be examined. This project will employ a sample of approximately 1,000 America Saves participants who provided a mailing address and did not participate in the NC 1172 project's 2009 electronic survey. A modest incentive will be provided to potential respondents in the initial mailing to encourage their participation in the survey and compensate them for their time. The survey request or mailer will be sent two times: initial mailing and one follow-up mailing.