Family Postponement of Medical and Dental Care: The Influence of Income Level and Financial Hardship

Medical and dental care are some of the most expensive expenditures that consumers incur, and they are also some of the most common expenses that families postpone (Gallup, 2015; Kaiser, 2012). The goal of the present is to examine family and financial factors that influence families’ likelihood of delaying healthcare in a predominantly middle and upper income sample. A large body of research framed by the Family Stress Model has used the postponement of healthcare as one of many indicators of family economic pressure that together predict deleterious relationship and developmental outcomes (Gauthier & Furstenberg, 2010). However, only a handful of studies have examined factors that contribute to the delay of healthcare (Heflin, 2016). This is an important research gap to fill because receiving regular healthcare can lead to early detection of disease and improved quality of lif

Father Absence, Reproductive Strategies, and Parent Financial Strain: Effects on African American Female Adolescents’ Educational Expectations

African Americans experience the highest rates of father absence from the home compared to other ethnic groups in the U.S. As of 2010: 67% of African American infants were born to unwed mothers: 33% of African American households were headed by a single mother with at least one related child under 18 years of age: 65% were below the poverty line (U.S. Bureau of the Census). African American women earn significantly less than African American men and all other ethnic groups by sex (except for Hispanic women) (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2007). As of the 2010 Census, 71% of African American females age 25 and over did not have a post-secondary degree

Iowa State University Financial Counseling Clinic Client Report

According to client exit surveys, the Financial Counseling Clinic at Iowa State University provides highly satisfactory services to students and non-students in the Ames area. The average level of client financial stress decreased by three points on a ten-point scale after a counseling session. The majority of clients were single, White, Iowa State University students in their early 20s. The biggest concern reported by clients was not having a saving or spending plan. There were differences across ethnic and age groups in the number of financial pressure experienced, stress level, amount of self-reported student loan debt, and self-reported total consumer debt. Interestingly, there were no significant differences in these categories among students enrolled in the various ISU colleges

A Life Course Investigation of Economic Pressure in Emerging Adulthood

This study investigates whether economic pressure in emerging adulthood is influenced by childhood social background and differing patterns of entry into adult roles. More specifically, gender, ethnicity-race, parent SES, family structure, and high school GPA may influence the coordinated movements into adult roles such as the timing of moving away from home, completing an education, full-time work, marriage, and parenthood. We looked at individual patterns of financial economic pressure as it changed over time from ages 25-31

Financial Adjustment and Couple Resilience in the Great Recession

This study examines economic and family implications of financial stressors and changes that couples experienced in the aftermath of the Great Recession as guided by Patterson’s (2002) Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) model. The sample consisted of a primarily middle-income group of 277 married and cohabiting couples; the couples were surveyed between 2008 and 2011 as part of the Flourishing Families Project. Findings from our path analysis showed that financial adjustments (e.g. cutting back on social activities and entertainment) in response to recession-era negative economic events were the source of economic pressure and couple relationship problems regarding finances. Prior levels of couple financial collaboration, however, partially offset these negative effects of the recession which was consistent with predictions from FAAR theory

Researcher Profile: An Interview With Clinton G. Gudmunson, Ph.D.

Clinton Gudmunson is an assistant professor in the department of Human Development and Family Studies at Iowa State University. Since entering his current position in 2010, he has worked closely with financial counselors to develop the research capacity of the ISU Financial Counseling Clinic (www.hdfs.hs.iastate.edu/financial) beginning to analyze the data from the archives which extend back to 1986, developing innovative approaches for collecting information from incoming client-research participants, and perusing and receiving grants to develop and investigate theories pertaining to personal financial literacy and financial counseling. This work follows his ongoing work investigating adolescent money attitudes, families and work (including family businesses), and economic pressure in family life. He teaches courses in personal finance, family policy, and research methods. He is active in the Financial Therapy Association and the National Council on Family Relations as a researcher seeking to bring a family perspective towards understanding financial issues. This is a theme that is investigated in his most recent article on Family Financial Socialization, which is coauthored by Sharon Danes

The Recovery Experiences of Child Identity Theft Victims: Preliminary Results

Identity theft occurs when personal information is stolen and used for the thief’s gain (Cullen, 2007; Sullivan, 2004). Nine million new cases of identity theft are reported each year (Federal Trade Commission, n.d.). Many more cases occur that are not reported or occur without the victim’s knowledge. Anyone with a Social Security number (Sharp, Shreve-Neiger, Fremouw, Kane, & Hutton, 2004) can become a victim of identity theft. For example, it is estimated that 500,000 U.S. children are victimized annually (Office of the Florida Attorney General, 2008) with incidents of child identity theft rising more quickly than any other type of identity theft (Cullen, 2007). As with adult victims, thieves may use a child’s identity to obtain loans, establish credit accounts and obtain employment (California Office of Privacy Protection, 2006; Collins, 2006). Consequences of identity theft include severely hindered financial security (e.g., inability to obtain loans, obtain rental housing, or gain employment), and impaired mental and physical health. Surprisingly, identity theft, while affecting millions of Americans, has captured limited empirical attention. Research literature is particularly limited on child victims of identity theft

The Impact of Family Rituals and Maternal Depressive Symptoms on Child Externalizing Behaviors: An Urban–Rural Comparison

Background The association between maternal depression and child negative behavior outcomes has been well established in the literature. However, understanding how maternal depression is associated with child behaviors will have important implications for research and intervention strategies. Objective We used samples from two distinct family contexts: urban, middle-class families (N = 454); and rural, low-income families (N = 240), to compare the impact of family rituals and maternal depressive symptoms on child externalizing behaviors. We also examined the impact of maternal depressive symptoms on family rituals. Methods Structural equation modeling and multiple group analyses were conducted. Child age, child gender, mother age, mother education, mother partner status, family income, and family size served as control variables. Indirect effect tests and incremental validity tests were performed. Results Depressive symptoms were linked to externalizing behaviors in both samples. The impacts of family rituals on child externalizing behaviors were more context-specific. For urban, middle-class families, vacations played a particularly helpful intermediate role. Also, in these families, maternal depressive symptoms were associated with less involvement in religious holidays. For rural, low-income families, involvement in annual celebrations was associated with less child externalizing behaviors, although maternal depressive symptoms did not impact involvement in any family rituals. Conclusions Results suggest that family context matters in determining the impacts of maternal depression on the practice of family rituals, as well as the benefits of family rituals for child behaviors, and that certain family rituals can do more than others to reduce child externalizing behaviors (e.g., vacation)

Asset Allocation of Retirement Plans: An Analysis of OECD Panel Data

The shift in age structure associated with aging populations has a profound impact on a broad range of economic, political and social conditions (United Nations, 2002). Specifically, increasing longevity can result in growing demands for retirement funds and rising risks for lack of money earmarked for retirement years. Longevity risk, the risk of outliving retirement savings, is a real concern for retirees. In general, social security, employer-provided pensions, and annuities purchased from personal savings are sources of income that can help retirees to manage their longevity risk (Society of Actuaries, 2006) because the benefits extend until death. A key challenge for consumers is to accumulate sufficient savings to finance the kind of lifestyle that is desired in retirement (Kerr, 2008). The role of private retirement funds is becoming increasingly important and consumers may underestimate the importance of decision-making regarding allocation of financial assets

Economic Pressure and Family-of-Origin Relationships as Predictors of African American Educational Attainment during Late Adolescence

According to a recent Current Population Survey, at the end of the 2008-2009 period, African American and Hispanic families experienced respective poverty rates of 25.8% and 25.3%, a stark contrast to the 9.4% rate experienced by non-Hispanic White families. Minority youth have disproportionately low rates of educational & occupational attainment compared to other ethnic groups