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Step into the world of financial wellness, remote work, and social entrepreneurship in this captivating podcast interview! Join co-hosts Rick Haney and Kaleem Clarkson as they welcome Rachel Schneider, the visionary founder and CEO of Canary, a company revolutionizing emergency payments for employees in crisis through a cutting-edge grant management solution.As Rachel's remarkable journey unfolds, from her tenure at Merrill Lynch to her heartfelt dedication to financial well-being, you'll sense a genuine blend of admiration and apprehension from the hosts, making it an experience you can relate to. Rachel's life story, shaped by open family discussions about money and her transformative work with migrant farmworkers, serves as a backdrop for her pivotal career transition from investment banking to nonprofit advocacy. Explore Rachel's unwavering passion for assisting individuals facing financial hardships and the driving force behind her acclaimed book, "The Financial Diaries."Dive deeper into the interview as Rachel unveils the birth of Canary and its innovative remote-first organizational structure. Gain profound insights into the challenges that people encounter during financial crises, with real-life examples that hit close to home. Discover how Canary empowers companies to establish emergency funds for employees grappling with unexpected financial hurdles. Throughout the conversation, personal anecdotes, expert insights, and discussions on Canary's mission effortlessly intertwine.Enter the realm of social entrepreneurship as Rachel elucidates its essence—the application of entrepreneurial principles to tackle societal issues. Learn how Canary operates as a for-profit entity with a noble goal: formalizing and equalizing the informal support people offer in times of need.Kaleem steers the conversation towards the intersection of remote work and social entrepreneurship, probing the impact of remote work on solving societal challenges. Rachel's perspective is illuminating; she sees remote work as a powerful force, especially in domains like home healthcare. It provides the freedom and flexibility for individuals to work where and how they're most productive.The dialogue delves into the motivations behind companies establishing emergency funds. Rachel posits that it extends beyond financial assistance, fostering a culture of support and care within the organization. This aspect is particularly vital in remote work settings, where building and nurturing connections can prove challenging.Concluding on a lighter note, Rachel shares a humorous anecdote about a colleague's virtual meeting mishap that leaves everyone in stitches. The hosts join in on the laughter, adding a delightful touch to this insightful interview. From the nuances of financial wellness to the dynamics of remote work culture, from community support to social entrepreneurship, this podcast covers it all. Don't miss this engaging blend of humor, personal stories, and invaluable insights!Learn more about Rachel:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-schneider-canary/Webpage - https://www.workwithcanary.com/Twitter - https://twitter.com/RachelSchneider
The topic that continues to be taboo no matter how much time passes: FINANCES. We're getting sweaty just thinking about it. BUT, we'd like to push against our own discomfort. Over the next few weeks, Roxy and Priska will capture voice notes to give Goatees an intimate look into how they manage (and mismanage) their money. If you have stories about struggling with debt or are unsure about how to manage your finances, send a voice note to hello@twohornygoats.com. We'd love to include your story in the episode, with your permission.
ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. In this episode, Yvonne N. Harris talks with Rachel Schneider, founder and CEO of Canary. Canary is a company helping the 21st-century social net evolve to reflect the future of work by providing technology and services that enable its clients to give individuals money at pivotal moments in their lives with dignity and efficiency. She's led the development of Grant Circle, a high-impact solution for challenges she uncovered as co-author of The Financial Diaries. Grant Circle exists so employees can access emergency support in times of financial need and enable them to recover quickly. Rachel has experience from Merrill Lynch, Financial Health Network, and The Aspen Institute as their entrepreneur-in-residence. She credits her commitment to the potential for innovative finance to solve major social problems from her days as a VISTA Volunteer. Standing for Social, the 'S' in ESG relates to the people elements impacting business and organizations, including employee relations, organizational health, people culture, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), community outreach, and health and wellness. Rachel's expertise intersects with people culture and employee relations. Listen as Yvonne and Rachel share their perspectives on how companies can be more effective in their Social efforts. Rachel describes Canary's service model and how their emergency fund is critical for employers to provide support for stressful life events that employees experience. Make sure to subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite streaming platforms and our new YouTube Channel so that you're notified of our vodcast episodes! Don't forget to connect with us on our social media channels. Enjoy this episode! Episode Resource Links Website: https://workwithcanary.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workwithcanary/
When Rachel Schneider wrote “The Financial Diaries”, the research uncovered several misconceptions that the financial industry has about the financial lives of the average person. When her research was done and her book was published, the Omidyar Network that had funded the study then presented her with the opportunity to solve one issue that she found in her research. Her answer is Canary, which helps businesses create safety nets for their employees and the communities they live in, and helps smooth over the rough times that inevitably fall in all our lives. I hope you enjoy this episode and may we all have stronger communities and strengthen the ties that bind us together in the new year! Guest: Rachel Schneider, Founder and CEO, CanaryHost: Rachel Morrissey, Executive Producer of The MoneyPot, Money20/20
ESG Decoded is a podcast powered by ClimeCo to share updates related to business innovation and sustainability in a clear and actionable manner. In this episode, Amanda Hsieh chats with Dr. Daryl Collins, CEO and Founder of Decodis. Decodis is a social research firm that creates tech-led, customized data capture and analysis to elevate the voices of vulnerable populations. Dr. Collins has built a broad portfolio of work with financial service providers, foundations, bilateral donors, and governments in the past two decades. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of the financial lives of individuals through the execution of Financial Diaries studies in over ten countries. She is the author of the acclaimed Portfolios of the Poor and a pioneer working at the intersection of finance and human vulnerability. Dr. Collins spent the last decade as Managing Director and CEO of BFA Global, a niche financial inclusion consulting practice. She holds a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. in economics from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. from New York University. Listen as Amanda and Dr. Collins focus on the ‘S' in ESG as they discuss the importance of quantifying the real impact of CSR and social investment programs by impact investors and CSR leaders. For context, the name Decodis stems from the concept of ‘decoding discourse,' which has a natural alignment with the name of this podcast! Dr. Collins describes the effect of tech-led listening as a way to better confirm our theories of change and optimize programs. She explains how we can move beyond tracking dollars and in-kind donations to understanding social programs' actual benefits. Make sure to subscribe to ESG Decoded on your favorite streaming platforms and our new YouTube Channel so that you're notified of our vodcast episodes! Don't forget to connect with us on our social media channels. Enjoy this episode! Interested in being a guest on the podcast? For consideration and scheduling, please fill out this form. Episode Resource Links Decodis Wesbite: www.decodis.com Portfolios of the Poor: https://www.amazon.com/Portfolios-Poor-How-Worlds-Live/dp/0691148198/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2O2U70TQ723WT&keywords=portfolios+of+the+poor&qid=1580151898&sprefix=portfolios+of+%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1 Daryl's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daryl-collins-85363618/
There are few people more familiar with the financial lives of Americans than Rachel Schneider. Her seminal research on working families has profoundly changed our understanding of the financial struggles faced by families and communities across the U.S. An author-turned-entrepreneur, Rachel joins Jennifer to talk about her work on the pivotal Financial Diaries project and her new endeavor, Canary, a fintech company aimed at helping workers during moments of financial challenge.
If you are looking for podcasting tips on topics like: *How to grow your podcast and get more podcast downloads. *How to increase your podcast audience engagement. *How to monetize a podcast. Then check out EP 211 of Podcasting Business School where I do a Podcast Audit of the Say Yes To FIRE podcast. ****** Are you a podcaster with a show that is doing less than 1,000 downloads per episode? Start your 14 day free trial inside the Download Growth Club: https://www.podcastingbusiness.school/download-growth-club
Go along with Susana as she explores financial independence as a millennial and takes you along to learn with her. Show Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/say-yes-to-fire-financial-diaries-of-a-millennial/id1572063313
It’s hot in the Bay, and so many of us are already sweatin’ to make ends meet every month. This week’s expert guest is here to give us perspective. Rachel Schneider followed the money stories of hundreds of Americans as part of co-authoring The Financial Diaries. She breaks down why so many of us find ourselves needing to borrow money from time to time, and how hidden inequality and generational wealth privilege play their part in that.Dara, Yas and Rachel talk about the common traps people fall into when it comes to short-term borrowing, how sometimes it feels like institutions make decisions for us, and slumber parties! “Leviosa!” is the new “light as a feather, stiff as a board,” mkay? So get light, unburden yourself, and consider balancing personal responsibility with holding policy makers accountable for making sure wages keep up with the rising cost of living. Leviosa!Full TranscriptLinks mentioned in this episode:U.S. Financial DiariesBuy the bookFederal Reserve ReportRachel on Twitter
Stephanie Land discusses her path from working as a maid to earning a journalism degree and later writing about the working poor. She is interviewed by Rachel Schneider, co-author of [The Financial Diaries]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why Most Americans Can’t Afford a $400 BillRachel Schneider (Author of the Financial Diaries, and Entrepreneur in Resident at the Aspen Institute’s FSP) followed 235 American families to understand why so many American’s still feel financial duress even while our economy grows at a rapid rate. She joins to the pod to detail how experimenting with new policies, like short term cash infusions, can address wage stagnation in the country. Rachel Schneider is the Omidyar Network Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program (FSP), and co-author of The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty. Described as a “must-read for anyone interested in causes of – and potential solutions to – American poverty” by Publisher’s Weekly, The Financial Diaries challenges conventional wisdom about inequality. As a social entrepreneur, Rachel is launching a new effort to explore how the social contract should evolve as a result. She is particularly interested in how small, strategic cash infusions can go a longer way by helping families at pivotal moments in which they simply don’t have the cash on hand that they need. She is developing hypotheses about how cash infusions can not only be stopgap measures, but also be a bridge toward stability and an investment in mobility. She is seeking partners with whom to expand and test those hypotheses by designing and implementing prototypes, and drawing attention to the range of solutions that can help families in need. For the last decade, Rachel has lead many of the projects at the heart of the work of the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI), where she is still a Senior Advisor. She is both a conceptual, and a practical thinker, with an unusual ability to think both about big ideas and about the smaller steps that can be taken today. Her research has been cited in the nation’s largest publications, and she is a highly sought-after consultant, writer and public speaker. Rachel began her career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch & Co., but credits her commitment to the potential for innovative finance to solve major social problems from her days as a VISTA Volunteer (now AmeriCorps). She holds a J.D./M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. from UC Berkeley
In Financial Diaries, Rachel Schneider digs under the surface and really gets into the nitty-gritty of American's financial lives including their hopes, dreams and struggles. Her poignant stories, including one about a family whose Sunday night meetings help them figure out what bills they can pay that week, will give you a deeper appreciation of what financial insecurity feels like. Financial Diaries laid bare the fact that a high percentage of Americans have challenges predicting their monthly income given the wide variances they experience month to month. This has real implications for how we teach budgeting to our students. Now at the Aspen Institute of Financial Security, Rachel continues to make a difference by developing ideas for financial products to serve vulnerable populations. Enjoy!
The past and future of fake news – what can be done about social media misinformation and what impact does it have around the world? Mike Wendling asks a panel of experts from Buzzfeed, the Poynter Institute, and First Draft News. Economists rely on data to describe what is happening in a country’s economy, such as the unemployment rate, average wages, and the number of people in poverty. But how individuals manage their money gives a different picture. Rachel Schneider, co-author of The Financial Diaries, describes the findings of a large study in the US. Why do some sleep disorders turn normal dreams into terrifying nightmares and what do they tell us about the workings of the brain? Neurologist, Dr Guy Leschziner, from Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals in London, introduces us to some of his patients with problems that include sleep paralysis and hallucinations and he explores the reasons why we dream. (Photo: A couple looking at their finances. Credit: Wayhome Studio/Shutterstock)
If you ask an economist to explain what is happening in a country’s economy. They rely on economic data points to describe what is happening – they might talk about the unemployment rate, average wages, and the numbers of people in poverty. They pull together the information available for thousands or millions of people to work out trends. But are we getting the whole picture? We speak to Rachel Schneider, co-author of the book, ‘The Financial Diaries’. It’s based on a large study in the USA. Over a period of a year from 2012 to 2013, researchers interviewed several families about how they were managing their money to find out the personal stories behind economic data. Presenter and Producer: Charlotte McDonald (Photo: A couple looking at their finances. Credit: Wayhome Studio/Shutterstock)
Felix Salmon of Fusion, Slate Moneybox columnist Jordan Weissmann, and political risk consultant Anna Szymanski are joined by author Rachel Schneider to discuss: The Financial Diaries, by Jonathan Morduch and Rachel Schneider Affirm and financing consumer purchases Amazon’s new second headquarters In Slate Plus: Cross-currency basis swaps If you’d like to leave us a voicemail for our December call-in show, ring us at (347) 960-6314. Check out other Panoply podcasts at panoply.fm. Email: slatemoney@slate.com Twitter:@felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @JHWeissmann Production by Daniel Schroeder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Felix Salmon of Fusion, Slate Moneybox columnist Jordan Weissmann, and political risk consultant Anna Szymanski are joined by author Rachel Schneider to discuss: The Financial Diaries, by Jonathan Morduch and Rachel Schneider Affirm and financing consumer purchases Amazon’s new second headquarters In Slate Plus: Cross-currency basis swaps If you’d like to leave us a voicemail for our December call-in show, ring us at (347) 960-6314. Check out other Panoply podcasts at panoply.fm. Email: slatemoney@slate.com Twitter:@felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas, @JHWeissmann Production by Daniel Schroeder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Volatility. Instability. Insecurity. Precarity. There’s a burgeoning lexicon seeking to capture the grim economic state of more and more Americans. Join us as Jonathan Morduch describes what he and Rachel Schneider discovered when they got 253 households to track their every bit of income and their every expense over the...
Volatility. Instability. Insecurity. Precarity. There’s a burgeoning lexicon seeking to capture the grim economic state of more and more Americans. Join us as Jonathan Morduch describes what he and Rachel Schneider discovered when they got 253 households to track their every bit of income and their every expense over the course of a year. The results—showcased in The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty (Princeton University Press, 2017)—are sobering, and should cause us to reevaluate what we think we know about poverty and inequality in postindustrial America. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics & Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People’s History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Volatility. Instability. Insecurity. Precarity. There’s a burgeoning lexicon seeking to capture the grim economic state of more and more Americans. Join us as Jonathan Morduch describes what he and Rachel Schneider discovered when they got 253 households to track their every bit of income and their every expense over the course of a year. The results—showcased in The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty (Princeton University Press, 2017)—are sobering, and should cause us to reevaluate what we think we know about poverty and inequality in postindustrial America. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics & Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People’s History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Volatility. Instability. Insecurity. Precarity. There’s a burgeoning lexicon seeking to capture the grim economic state of more and more Americans. Join us as Jonathan Morduch describes what he and Rachel Schneider discovered when they got 253 households to track their every bit of income and their every expense over the course of a year. The results—showcased in The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty (Princeton University Press, 2017)—are sobering, and should cause us to reevaluate what we think we know about poverty and inequality in postindustrial America. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics & Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People’s History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Volatility. Instability. Insecurity. Precarity. There’s a burgeoning lexicon seeking to capture the grim economic state of more and more Americans. Join us as Jonathan Morduch describes what he and Rachel Schneider discovered when they got 253 households to track their every bit of income and their every expense over the course of a year. The results—showcased in The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty (Princeton University Press, 2017)—are sobering, and should cause us to reevaluate what we think we know about poverty and inequality in postindustrial America. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics & Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People’s History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Volatility. Instability. Insecurity. Precarity. There’s a burgeoning lexicon seeking to capture the grim economic state of more and more Americans. Join us as Jonathan Morduch describes what he and Rachel Schneider discovered when they got 253 households to track their every bit of income and their every expense over the course of a year. The results—showcased in The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty (Princeton University Press, 2017)—are sobering, and should cause us to reevaluate what we think we know about poverty and inequality in postindustrial America. Stephen Pimpare is Senior Lecturer in the Politics & Society Program and Faculty Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of The New Victorians (New Press, 2004), A People’s History of Poverty in America (New Press, 2008), winner of the Michael Harrington Award, and Ghettos, Tramps and Welfare Queens: Down and Out on the Silver Screen (Oxford University Press, 2017). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We often talk about economic insecurity at the statistical level, but how does it impact people’s lives day to day and month to month? Rachel Schneider and Jonathan Morduch examined this question by getting to know families who struggle with financial security, and chronicled their findings in the eye opening book The Financial Diaries: How […]
If you spend a lot of time in Washington, as I do, you see a lot of issues framed around statistics about people, especially medians, and averages. For instance, policies aimed at helping lower-income people typically stratify Americans into categories, in bands above and below median income, or median incomes in their census tracts. I’ve worked with programs like this for decades -- HUD housing and mortgage programs, the Community Reinvestment Act, and many others. And then one day, someone comes along and goes inside those data categories, and finds out what’s really happening in the lives of the people covered by them. And it turns out to be surprising. That is exactly what today’s guest did. She is Rachel Schneider, Senior Vice President of the Center For Financial Services Innovation and co-author of the new book, The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty. Some years ago, Rachel joined a CFSI study trip to South Africa where she learned about financial diaries methodology -- intimate research that tracks the daily financial lives of individual consumer households. With funding from several organizations including the Omidyar Network, she and NYU Professor Jonathan Morduch undertook a diaries project in the United States. They identified a cross-section of America -- 235 families in a wide variety of circumstances, in communities ranging from Mississippi to Ohio to California to New York City, and had a team spend over a year with each one, mapping every bit of money that flowed into and out of each household. Not surprisingly, they found some alarming trends, which other research has revealed as well. A full fifty-seven percent of households today are considered financially unhealthy -- including a third of those with incomes over $100,000 a year. But by looking closely, they found much more. In particular, they spotlighted a huge issue that had been traditionally masked by the statistical averages -- namely that for many people, the most pressing problem is not actually lack of money, but rather volatility. It turns out that millions of Americans live within their means, in that they spend less than they earn, but struggle nevertheless because they have volatile and unpredictable earnings and expenses. Since they also lack savings, they can’t cushion or smooth out their expense spikes and income troughs without relying on high-cost services like payday loans and checking account overdrafts. It’s worth pondering the irony that these consumers can afford financial services, as evidenced by the fact that they do -- they actually pay more in interest and fees than other people do. But they are not well-matched to our current models of products, pricing, money management, and risk assessment. CFSI’s research has also revealed something else: families that appear identical in the statistical averages may actually be in completely different situations. Some are rising while others are sinking. And some are overwhelmed and confused by financial management, while others are the best money managers in the population, because they have to be -- have to know exactly how much money they will earn, and when it will be in their account, and exactly how much they must pay, and precisely when, and which bills have timing leeway and grace periods and which don’t, and then must strategically plan and execute the daily, weekly, and monthly financial plan. As we’ve discussed in other shows, innovators are working on all these problems -- more affordable smoothing solutions, easier saving, better saving psychology, effortless financial management, ladders toward good credit scores, new data that more accurately evaluate credit risk, and more. We’ve talked about those in past shows and will cover many more going forward. Most of these innovators begin by trying to understand customers’ real-life ways of using money, including by bringing in behavioral science -- recognizing that finance is not just a cerebral process but also an emotional, and social, one. The financial industry will do even better as it aligns the products offered with the ways people think and feel about them. For this deeper understanding, nothing is more illuminating than Rachel’s book. In today’s show, she helps us get to know some of the people the Diaries tracked, see a little bit into their lives, and learn the strategies they use to make ends meet. In the process, she gives us a lot to think about, beyond the statistics. So...buy the book! It’s in the show notes at jsbarefoot.com. And meanwhile, enjoy my conversation with Financial Diaries author Rachel Schneider. More about Rachel and her work Rachel Schneider is a Senior Vice President at CFSI, and co-author of The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty. The Financial Diaries connects the findings of the ground-breaking U.S. Financial Diaries research project, which collected highly detailed data about how 235 households save, spend, borrow and plan over the course of a year, with the broad trends upending the economic lives of American families. It uncovers the emergence of a hidden inequality, in addition to disparities in income and wealth – an inequality in access to steady finances. It provides a framework for how to develop products and policies that can help. Rachel is highly sought-after as a consultant and speaker, Her research has been featured in the nation’s top publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and many others, and she speaks frequently at a broad spectrum of events. Though she began her career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch & Co., Rachel credits her commitment to the potential for innovative finance to solve major social problems from her days as a VISTA Volunteer (now AmeriCorps). She holds a J.D./M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. from UC Berkeley. She lives in New York City with her husband and their two children. She occasionally “competes” in triathlons, which are getting easier to “win” as the number of competitors in her age group shrinks. She says the same cannot be said for improvement in her piano skills. Here are other resources, including items mentioned in the episode: My 2015 blog post on the Diaries project: http://www.jsbarefoot.com/blog/2015/1/5/diary-of-a-mad-financial-system My podcast with CFSI CEO Jennifer Tescher My podcast with Colleen Briggs, JP Morgan Chase My podcast on CFSI Innovation Lab Even: https://even.com/ Omidyar Network Todd Baker’s Research at the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Business & Government More for our listeners The next two months will bring a podcast bonanza to Barefoot Innovation, with amazing shows coming up. I just recorded a fascinating one with Christopher Woolard of the UK Financial Conduct Authority on the FCA’s innovation initiative, including lessons learned so far from their famous regulatory sandbox. We’ll also have one with the Nick Cook, who leads the FCA’s innovation work on regtech. We have one coming up with Wells Fargo’s Braden More on payments innovation. We’ll have Nerd Wallet CEO Tim Chen, and Cross River Bank CEO Gilles Gade. We’ll record one in London with the trade association Innovate Finance, and on this side of the pond, we’ll have a show with Financial Services Roundtable CEO Tim Pawlenty...to name a few! And, I’ll be recording a special series straight from the floor of the American Bankers Association conference on financial crimes, in December. I hope to see many of you there and at other upcoming events. My speech schedule is packed solid from now to the end of the year, which is an indicator of the fast-growing interest in fintech regulation and in regtech. I recently spoke at five events in four cities in four days, and here is some of what’s coming up. Central Bank Summit on blockchain and digital currency, October 30 in New York Regtech Rising, November 2, London Asia Finance Forum, Fintech and Sustainable Development, November 8-10, Manilla Monetary Authority of Singapore Fintech Festival, November 13-17, Singapore RegTech Enable, November 27-29th, Washington, DC UN/ITU conference on financial inclusion in Bangalore (invitation only) Fintech Connect Live, December 6th, London American Bankers Association Financial Crimes Enforcement Conference, December 3-5, National Harbor Maryland S&P’s Fintech Intel, December 13, New York The African Fintech Forum, December 18-19 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast www.africafintechforum.net Dutch Central Bank, December 20, Amsterdam Please remember to review Barefoot Innovation on iTunes, and sign up to get emails that bring you the newest podcast, newsletter, and blog posts, at jsbarefoot.com. Be sure to follow me on twitter and facebook. And please send in your “buck a show” to keep Barefoot Innovation going. Support our Podcast Meanwhile, don’t stop innovating! Subscribe Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Email Address Sign Up We respect your privacy. Thank you!
The traditional narrative of the American Dream — hard work, steady saving, and a little bit of luck will lead to security today and mobility tomorrow — has all but become an American Myth. Today, insecurity is so pronounced that 92 percent of Americans, when asked to choose between being a little richer or more financially stable, chose stability. But amidst 30 years of wage stagnation and radically decreased mobility, neither has been attainable. In The Financial Diaries, authors Jonathan Morduch and Rachel Schneider track the financial lives of 235 low- and middle-income households to cast a light on the pervasive economic anxiety felt across the country. The individuals they profile — among them a casino dealer, a street vendor, and a tax preparer — challenge popular assumptions about how Americans earn, spend, borrow, and save and suggest new tools the U.S. needs to correct the broader distress of income and wealth inequality. Join New America NYC for a conversation on the growing financial instability Americans face and the policy interventions needed to better support those who need it most. OPENING REMARKS: Xavier de Souza Briggs @xavbriggs Vice President, Economic Opportunity and Markets, Ford Foundation PARTICIPANTS Jonathan Morduch @JMorduch Professor of Public Policy and Economics and Director, Financial Access Initiative, New York University Co-author, The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty Rachel Schneider @RachelSchneider Senior Vice President, Center for Financial Services Innovation Co-author, The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty Justin KingPolicy Director, Family-Centered Social Policy, New America Unique BrathwaiteExecutive Director, LIFT–New York Alex Goldmark @alexgoldmark Supervising Producer, Planet Money, NPR
Much has changed for the average American family from a financial standpoint in the last few decades. Much of the advice we receive is outdated in today’s climate. A study is based on 235 families from all across the United States. For one year they gave the authors access to every detail of their financial lives. The families were not among the poorest nor were they among the richest. A quarter was below the poverty line, half were at or making two times the poverty line, and a quarter were above the prior group.Today we discuss The U.S. Financial Diaries with Jonathan Morduch. Full Article Here Show Notes The Yin Evil Twins Brewing: The black of the black and tan. The U.S. Financial Diaries: More information about the study, the people involved, and the book. Simple Wealth: Research and evaluate rental properties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The guest for this episode is Jonathan Morduch, he is a professor of public policy and economics at NYU and the author of The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty, co-authored with Rachel Schneider. The book looks at the financial situations of ordinary American families. It is centered around a detailed survey of 235 households where they recorded what they earned and what they spent at an extremely granular level. From a truck mechanic whose income depends on bad weather wearing out the parts on trucks to a blackjack dealer whose tips literally depend on her customers' winnings at the blackjack table, the surveys reveal a huge amount of variance in the incomes and expenses of these households. This variance is not captured in annualized statistics, but it has profound implications for the way these households spend and save. We discuss financial literacy in the context of the real problems people face and relate the stories to some results from behavioural and experimental economics.
What would you find out about yourself after writing down all of your income and expenses for a year? Jonathan Morduch and Rachel Schneider, authors of The Financial Diaries, did just that, and they found some disturbing trends about work, emergency funds, and families struggling to get ahead. We talk to them about how families cope on today's podcast. On the Haven Life line, Brenda is changing jobs from a 401k to a 403b. Can she move money between these two funds? If she can...should she? We'll discuss her options. In headlines, Jamie Wize from the BUZZ Index (ticker BUZ) joins us to talk about recent social media swells about SNAP and Palo Alto. Of course we have Doug's trivia, some bad jokes, and lots more.... Huge thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for helping us with today's show!
Millions of middle-class Americans face an unexpected reality in today's era of economic growth: their paychecks vary so much that paying bills and saving for the future is exhausting and challenging month after month. This week on Benchmark, Dan and Scott speak with Jonathan Morduch and Rachel Schneider, whose book, "The Financial Diaries," vividly illustrates the financial struggles of more than 200 U.S. families.
Millions of Americans are facing "a shocking level" of income and expense volatility - much like what's experienced in emerging markets. That's the key finding of a new book by Rachel Schneider, Senior Vice President at CFSI, and Jonathan Morduch of New York University. Called "The Financial Diaries, How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty," the book presents insights gained from tracking the financial lives of 235 low and moderate income households for a full year, exploring in remarkable detail the ways they deal with financial insecurity. Schneider discusses the research and its implications for America's economic, social and political future in this wide-ranging interview.
What happens when you have no savings and you suddenly incur a huge expense like a medical bill or car repair. What happens if you have a job in retail and your weekly paycheck fluctuates while your monthly bills remain steady. The topic today is financial fragility and to explore I’ve invited Rachel Schneider, the co-author of the new book, The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty. In her book she and her co-author take a deep dive into how 235 low and middle-income families in the U.S. spend, earn and save over the course of a year. How do they deal with inconsistent paychecks, emergency costs and other financial ups and downs? Some more about Rachel: She's the Senior Vice President at Center for Financial Services Innovation or CFSI. She's an expert on financial health and how an innovative financial services marketplace can improve the live for Americans. She is also the co-Principal Investigator on the U.S. Financial Diaries research study that is the basis of her new book. Rachel’s began her career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com.
This week, Breaking Banks’ Brett King talks to Rachel Schneider, senior vice president of Center of Financial Services Innovation, about her new book "The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty" and on potential solutions to income volatility problems. The book is based on the U.S. Financial Diaries study, which follows the lives of more than 200 low- and middle income-families over the course of the year. Also: Travis Dulaney, chief executive of Push Payments, talks instant payments; Mary Wisniewski of American Banker discusses the week's news, including the OCC's fintech charter, data aggregation battles and alternative data.
Regular listeners of Barefoot Innovation will have noticed that we often mention the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) and serve on its board. This year, CFSI celebrated its 11th anniversary. A decade ago there was nothing called Fintech. And yet Jennifer Tescher – who when she first entered the financial services industry couldn’t balance her checkbook – joined with former OTS Director Ellen Seidman and others who had a remarkable insight: that technology trends would create innovative ways to improve the lives of financial consumers. A former journalist, Jennifer became interested in financial services via reporting on urban poverty and inequality issues. That led to her to join ShoreBank, America’s first community development bank, where she explored ways to serve consumers who are deemed risky, in new ways that can be both sustainable and profitable. Fast forward to 2015 and CFSI has become the nation’s authority on consumer financial health, and Jennifer, as President and CEO, leads a network of financial services innovators committed to expanding access to high-quality financial services in ways that are sound and profitable. As you will hear in this episode, a majority of Americans are not financially healthy. Research by CFSI and others paints a “frankly disturbing” picture of the economic lives of millions of Americans. Studies also draw strong links between physical and financial health, including how stress affects decision making. Jennifer says it best our podcast: “Wow, wow, wow, huge swaths of people are incredibly challenged!” CFSI is aiming to change this, using a lot of tools. One is seeding new ventures. It founded Core Innovation Capital, which is now an independent VC fund (see Episode 3, where we talked with Core’s Arjan Schutte). And 2015 kicked off a five-year innovation contest funded by JPMorgan Chase, in the CFSI Financial Solutions Labs competition. (See our podcast with one of the contest winners, Steve Carlson of Ascend). Second, CFSI convenes people, including through its new membership model and by hosting the annual EMERGE conference, which presents cutting-edge thought leadership and features innovators, executives, and emerging companies in the financial services industries, including guests of this very podcast! Third, CFSI helps identify standards and practices that can help both providers and consumer thrives, as with the Compass Principles for prepaid cards. And fourth, CFSI is doing unique research in deeply understanding the financial lives of American consumers, including through the U.S. Financial Diaries project conducted with New York University. Jennifer is a nationally known expert on all these themes, with a monthly column in American Banker, frequent interviews and articles in the financial press, and major speaking engagements at industry and policy convenings. I am so happy to bring to you my lively interview with Jennifer, showcasing both her prodigious knowledge and her passion for these goals, which, as she says, has so far has kept her from abandoning it all in favor of a Mexican beach! To bolster your own optimism, here are links to the new data and trends spurring CFSI’s mission, and links their initiatives and research: Find out how CFSI is powering solutions for a financially health America (and for more on the 9 winners of their first Financial Solutions Lab’s challenge). Access to CFSI’s research on the state of consumer financial health, including the U.S. Financial Diaries and their Consumer Financial Health Study. For more on illiquid vs. insolvent consumers: My piece in Banking Exchange called Illiquid? Insolvent? Solutions can differ drastically and Aaron Klein’s article in American Banker on Shifting the Debate on Small Dollar Credit. For my take on the US Financial Diaries work, see my blog post, “Diary of a Mad Financial System”. On new ways of assessing financial well-being: Ron Shevlin’s Financial Health is the New Marketing. And mark your calendar for Emerge 2016, June 14-17 in New Orleans! Please come to CFSI’s website for a wealth of further information. And now, enjoy my talk with Jennifer Tescher! Please subscribe to the podcast by opening your favorite podcast app and searching for "Jo Ann Barefoot", or in iTunes. If you enjoy our work to bring together thought provoking ideas and people please consider a contribution to support the site. Donate Subscribe Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Email Address Sign Up We respect your privacy. Thank you!
Daryl Collins, co-author of "Portfolios of the Poor" and Senior Associate at Bankable Frontier Associates talks about implementing lessons from Portfolios of the Poor in South Africa. Daryl's principal area of research is estimating the impact of microfinance programs on the financial management of poor households. From 2003 to 2006, she was the principal investigator for a longitudinal study called the Financial Diaries project funded by the Ford Foundation and DFID in South Africa. This study became the basis of a book, Portfolios of the Poor.
Daryl Collins, co-author of "Portfolios of the Poor" and Senior Associate, Bankable Frontier Associates talks about implementing lessons from Portfolios of the Poor in South Africa. Daryl's principal area of research is estimating the impact of microfinance programs on the financial management of poor households. From 2003 to 2006, she was the principal investigator for a longitudinal study called the Financial Diaries project funded by the Ford Foundation and DFID in South Africa. This study became the basis of a book, Portfolios of the Poor.