Targeting financial management training at low-income audiences

While interest in financial management training programs for low-income persons has grown in recent years, the specific training needs of low-income consumers have not been well articulated. This article describes needed training content for such audiences, based on review of previous research and the authors' experiences in evaluating the Financial Links for Low-Income People (FLLIP) program. We also illustrate how the choice of financial management training models can seriously impact the subgroups of the low-income population who attend training, as well as the success of programs in recruiting and graduating participants. The implications of these findings both for financial management curriculum development and for the selection of program models are presented.