Financial inclusion
The goal of the Brotherhood's financial inclusion research is to promote social inclusion in Australia by demonstrating effective programs for disadvantaged people, and to advocate for universal access to mainstream, affordable and appropriate financial services. Current projects include:
Financial needs across the life course
Contact: Zuleika Arashiro zarashiro@nullbsl.org.au
This research uses the life transitions approach to explore how economically and socially disadvantaged groups deal with the specific financial needs related to the move from school to work, being unemployed, becoming a parent, and retirement and ageing.
Financial Health Services Pilot evaluation
Contact: Zuleika Arashiro zarashiro@nullbsl.org.au
Funded by the Consumer Credit Fund, this project is the evaluation component of the Financial Health Services Pilot Project, a one-on-one, preventative financial information and guidance service being piloted by the Brotherhood's Financial Inclusion Services during 2010.
Saver Plus evaluation
Contact: Zuleika Arashiro zarashiro@nullbsl.org.au
Saver Plus is a matched savings program designed by the Brotherhood and ANZ to assist families with low incomes to develop a savings habit and to build assets. This qualitative research will analyse the social factors influencing participation in Saver Plus, as well as the social impact of the program for those who complete it. It will complement the evaluation work developed in recent years by RMIT University.
Customer experience of Progress Loans
Contact: Genevieve Sheehan gsheehan@nullbsl.org.au
The Brotherhood and ANZ commissioned Vawser and Associates to evaluate the Progress Loans program which offers small personal loans to enable people on low incomes to make important household purchases. The research, including structured phone interviews and focus groups of borrowers, indicates high customer satisfaction and an increased level of pride and self-confidence in having a good track record with a major bank.
Report
Vawser and Associates 2009, Progress Loans: towards affordable credit for low-income Australians (PDF file, 818 KB)
Basic bank accounts
Contact: Gerard Brody gbrody@nullbsl.org.au
Although basic transaction bank accounts exist in Australia, they are not necessarily being used by all the customers who could benefit. This project investigates whether people with low incomes are accessing affordable and appropriate bank accounts. The primary objective is to work with the banking industry to ensure that all eligible low income earners are using basic transaction accounts.
Microfinance in Australia
Contact Genevieve Sheehan gsheehan@nullbsl.org.au
A research project was undertaken by the Brotherhood and Community Foresters Finance to provide an overview of microfinance in Australia, focusing on ways to to learn from and scale up successful pilots, to work towards sustainability, and to measure the impact of microfinance programs on financial exclusion.
Report
Ingrid Burkett and Genevieve Sheehan 2009, From the margins to the mainstream: the challenges for microfinance in Australia (PDF file, 553 KB)