This paper uses a unique panel dataset of consumer financial transactions to study how
consumers respond to an exogenous unanticipated income shock. Consumption rose …

We examine the impact of the COVID-19 economic crisis on business and consumer
bankruptcies in the United States using real-time data on the universe of filings. Historically …

Consumer bankruptcy is one of the largest social insurance programs in the United States,
but little is known about its impact on debtors. We use 500,000 bankruptcy filings matched to …

The world of welfare has changed radically. As the poor trade welfare checks for low-wage
jobs, their low earnings qualify them for a hefty check come tax time—a combination of the …

We examine the effect of the Medicaid expansions under the 2010 Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (ACA) on consumer financial outcomes using data from a major credit …

Abstract Households in the Nielsen Consumer Panel were surveyed about their 2008
Economic Stimulus Payment. In estimates identified by the randomized timing of …

This chapter provides an overview of household finance. The first part summarizes key facts
regarding household financial behavior, emphasizing empirical regularities that are …

This paper evaluates theoretical explanations for the propensity of households to increase
spending in response to the arrival of predictable, lump-sum payments, using households in …

Payday loans are used by millions of Americans every year despite their annualized interest
rates of several hundred percent. We provide new evidence on the consequences of payday …

Each year in the US, more than two million renter households report being at risk of eviction,
yet there is little causal evidence on how evictions affect low-income households. We …