Research

Everything we do at the Initiative for Financial Decision-Making starts with rigorous research.

Data collection, data analysis, and review of peer research sustain our mission to create effective curricula, powerful teaching tools, and sound policies that advance the field of financial education.

Our tradition of world-leading research expands on the founding work of IFDM Faculty Director Annamaria Lusardi at the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC), now housed at Stanford.

Published Research

The IFDM works on several levels to distill and disseminate research that is rigorous and consequential. From writing overviews, such as “The Importance of Financial Literacy: Opening a New Field” in the  Journal of Economic Perspectives to the launch of the Journal of Financial Literacy and Wellbeing, the field’s first academic journal, IFDM will develop and share seminal research on financial decision-making.

Extending beyond digital pages and screens, IFDM brings research to life through discussion, debate, and information sharing. We bring faculty, students, and alumni together to present the latest research and to consider the implications for financial education and policy.

We’re also proud to bring to the West Coast the annual Cherry Blossom Financial Education Institute, at which scholars from around the globe come together to share research on financial literacy, personal finance, and financial education.

Program and Event Information