Week of November 23, 2015

In a special Monday edition of the FAIV, we bring you highlights of news you may have missed last week if, like us, you were enjoying the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

1. Wealth Creation: Research from the US Financial Diaries finds households rely on the financial support of family and friends to get by. However, familial obligations can also be a financial burden that hinders growth of intergenerational wealth, especially for minority households. The Atlantic

2. Financial Inclusion: Accelerating Pathways, a new research initiative, explores how the economic environments of 35 global cities create opportunities for young people and the factors contribute most to youth's economic success. Citi Foundation

3. Digital Financial Services: The ability to prove one's identity is key to accessing digital financial services but as FAI affiliate Ignacio Mas and David Porteous explain, the idea of digital identity should expand to promote financial inclusion and allow the poor to meet KYC requirements. Innovations

4. US Social Welfare: "The people who most rely on the safety-net programs secured by Democrats are, by and large, not voting against their own interests by electing Republicans. Rather, they are not voting, period." Those that do are slightly higher up on the economic ladder and perceive those below them as dependent on a government safety net. ProPublica 

5. Retirement Savings: A growing number of academics are calling for a revival of the tontine - an old (and perhaps unfairly maligned) tool for helping to save for retirement. NPR