Consumer Finance Monthly (CFM)

The Consumer Finance Monthly (2005-2013) was a study used to track American's financial management - especially how they handle credit, credit cards, their assets and liabilities. This study sampled consumers monthly to uncover important trends in the financial management of the American consumer to detect shifts in spending behavior, financial health and the accumulation of both assets and liabilities.

This was a research project, not a market research survey. The project was based at The Ohio State University (OSU) and was guided by researchers at OSU, the Wharton School of Business, the Federal Reserve Board, and researchers at some of the largest banks in America. These data were used to study consumer behavior, forecast economic activity and track the financial health of consumers. Another major purpose of the project was to study how consumers were preparing for retirement. It's essential to have good data on the assets and liabilities of American households if we are to understand how people are preparing for retirement and managing their assets.

Full information can be found at https://chrr.osu.edu/consumer-finance-monthly.

Summary of Data

  • Credit Card Use
  • Balance Switching
  • Consumer Loans
  • Consumer Expectations
  • Consumer Attitudes
  • Income and assets
  • Demographics

Our data can answer questions such as:

  • What sorts of interest rate offers are most attractive to consumers?
  • What are the account features that consumers find most attractive?
  • What factors predict the longevity of credit card accounts?
  • Is the credit-worthiness of credit card users improving or declining?
  • Do consumer balance sheets suggest a need for stricter underwriting standards for credit card customers?
  • How can default and turnover by credit card users be predicted?
  • How do the credit worthiness metrics of an issuer compare to national norms?
  • Is the liquidity of the consumer improving or declining?
  • Is consumer confidence improving or declining?
  • Who are we losing customers to and why?
  • Which methods of payment are expanding and for which expenditure categories?
  • How are home equity lines of credit affecting the market for credit cards?