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Financial access is used in practice and research as an important concept relevant to financial capability and financial well‐being. This study examines the literature on individual financial access and develops a conceptualization, definition, domains, and proposed items. Following a systematic conceptual review method, the review is based on 171 articles published during January 2012–August 2022 retrieved from Scopus and Dissertation and Thesis Global. Using grounded theory, data were coded related to financial access definition, concepts, measurement, and associated content. The domains identified were Mainstream Financial Products and Services, Institutional Practices of Available Mainstream Financial Service Providers, Individual Resources and Intrinsic Qualities and Abilities, and Individual Financial Action and Perceptions. Financial Products or Services Utilized by Social Programs to Provide Benefits was added. Study implications include the need to broaden the focus of policies and practices beyond ownership of financial products and services. Directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective finance is a finance system that assures individuals and families of having beneficial access to financial services and skills. It is a precondition for financial well‐being. Drawing upon a low‐income sample (N = 1473) from the 2016 National Financial Well‐Being Survey, this study examines whether financial skills and financial access are associated with financial well‐being and material hardship. The results identify positive interactions between financial access and financial skills on financial well‐being. The findings point to effective finance policies that have the potential to reduce material hardship and support financial well‐being for low‐income families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the fully banked population is related to the availability of affordable bank accounts. This study investigates the factors that are associated with bank response to voluntary national bank account standards for an affordable transaction account. We also examine the degree to which account information is available from bank websites. Account feature data were collected from public bank websites and bank tellers (N = 108) in a mid‐western metropolitan area. Results suggest that most banks offer an account that meets the majority of the standards. On average, bank websites are missing information about eight (44%) of the voluntary standards. There is weak evidence to suggest that bank asset size is associated both with the number of standards met and the numbers of standards about which a viewer cannot assess from information on their website. Practice and policy implications of the voluntary standards on the availability of affordable transaction accounts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of theoretical framework of financial capability, this study investigates the roles of financial access and financial knowledge in savings and asset accumulation for children's postsecondary education. We use data from SEED for Oklahoma Kids ( N =2,704), a statewide policy experiment offering Child Development Accounts (CDAs) to treatment participants. This study employs quantile regressions with two dependent variables: savings amount (net deposits made by caregivers of children) and total asset amount (the sum of savings, financial incentives offered by the experiment, and investment earnings). Results identify positive and statistically significant interactions between treatment status and financial knowledge, suggesting that access to CDAs moderates the association between financial knowledge and asset accumulation. Providing empirical support for the theory of financial capability, the findings call for interventions that enhance financial knowledge, expand financial access, and improve asset accumulation for all children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]