Does Banking Experience Matter? Differences of the Banked and Unbanked in Individual Development Accounts

Using data from the 4-year American Dream Demonstration, this study compared saving performance and program participation of banked participants (n = 1,538) with unbanked participants (n = 466) enrolled in 14 IDA programs across the United States. The study found that unbanked participants had $3.26 lower average monthly net deposit (p<.05) and 5% lower deposit frequency (p<.001) than banked participants. Unbanked participants had 45% greater odds of dropout than banked participants (p<.001). Further analyses looking at the intervening variables suggested that the combined effects of car ownership, education, race, and monthly savings targets significantly reduced the savings gap between the two groups.