SaveUSA Study Begins Second Survey Round
SaveUSA offers a matched savings account to tax filers, building on the savings opportunity presented by tax-time refunds, especially the Earned Income Tax Credit. As part of a study of SaveUSA, about 1,600 individuals who had their tax returns prepared by community organizations in New York City and Tulsa in 2011 and who consented to be in the study are being contacted, starting in May 2014, and invited to answer a series of questions. This second round of the confidential survey, which will take about 40 minutes to complete via phone, is being conducted by a national survey firm, Decision Information Resources (DIR), in partnership with MDRC, the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity, and the NYC government Office of Financial Empowerment. Information collected in the survey will include how families make choices about saving and borrowing and how people deal with the day-to-day challenges of making ends meet with the income they receive. The survey results will help government agencies and community organizations design better financial programs and services for communities throughout the U.S.