Household Surveys
The FDIC is committed to expanding Americans' access to safe, secure, and affordable banking services, which is integral to the FDIC's mission of maintaining the stability of and public confidence in the U.S. financial system. One contribution to this end is the FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households, or the “Household Survey.” In response to a statutory mandate, the survey has been conducted biennially since 2009, in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau as a supplement to the Current Population Survey. The Household Survey collects information on bank account ownership and other financial products and services that households may use to meet their transaction and credit needs. The nationally representative survey is administered to approximately 30,000 U.S. households and yields findings that are representative for the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Bank Surveys
As mandated by Section 7 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Conforming Amendments Act of 2005, the FDIC periodically surveys insured depository institutions to assess their efforts to bring individuals and families who have rarely, if ever, held a checking or a savings account at such institutions, into the financial mainstream. These nationally-representative bank surveys are intended to collect information that would better inform efforts by the conventional banking system to serve unbanked and underbanked individuals in the U.S.
Qualitative Studies
In addition to nationally-representative surveys, the FDIC periodically devotes resources to high-quality qualitative research studies that provide valuable context for implementing strategies to increase economic inclusion. The findings of these qualitative studies are intended to complement authoritative FDIC survey results to yield richer perspectives for interested stakeholders.