Measuring Financial Wellbeing with Self-Reported and Bank-Record Data

Carole Comerton-Forde (), John de New (), Nicolas Salamanca, David Ribar, Andrea Nicastro and James Ross
Additional contact information
Carole Comerton-Forde: University of New South Wales
John de New: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research
Andrea Nicastro: Commonwealth Bank of Australia
James Ross: Commonwealth Bank of Australia

No 13884, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This study develops multi-item scales of the financial wellbeing of customers of a major Australian bank using self-reported survey data that are matched with the customers' financial records. Using Item Response Theory (IRT) models, the study develops: First a Reported Financial Wellbeing Scale that is formed from responses to 10 questions about people's experiences and perceptions of financial outcomes, and second an Observed Financial Wellbeing Scale that is formed from five financial-record measures of customers' account balances, net spending, and payment problems. The IRT models show that each scale reliably differentiates between a wide range of outcomes and that the components within each scale have similar power to discriminate. We validate the scales by estimating Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator machine-learning models of how they correlate with other measurable characteristics. Savings habits, spending habits, credit card behavior, household income, education, difficulties with housing payments, and the use of and access to social or government support are each associated with both types of financial wellbeing.

Keywords: item response theory models; financial behavior; bank-record data; financial wellbeing; machine learning; LASSO (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D1 I3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 84 pages
Date: 2020-11
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Published - published in: Economic Record, 2022, 98 (321), 133-151

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Journal Article: Measuring Financial Wellbeing with Self‐Reported and Bank Record Data (2022)
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