Where Does it Go? Spending by the Financially Constrained

40 Pages Posted: 10 Mar 2008 Last revised: 16 Nov 2008

See all articles by Shawn Allen Cole

Shawn Allen Cole

Harvard Business School

John Thompson

H&R Block

Peter Tufano

Harvard Business School; University of Oxford, Said Business School

Date Written: April 11, 2008

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the spending decisions of over 1.5 million Americans who vary in their degree of revealed credit constraints. Specifically, we analyze how these Americans spend their income tax refunds, using transaction-level data from a stored-value card product. Card-holders may choose among several tax settlement and loan options, effectively receiving cash as much as 90 days earlier than would have been possible without a settlement product. Those selecting earlier settlement options pay higher fees and interest, therefore revealing the level of credit constraints or impatience. We find that more credit constrained or impatient individuals spend their monies more quickly. The mix of cash and merchant transactions is similar between more and less constrained groups. Finally, the primary merchant uses of refunds are to pay for necessities (grocery stores, gas stations, etc.), and the fraction of the refund spending devoted to these necessities is higher for those with greater revealed credit constraints.

Suggested Citation

Cole, Shawn Allen and Thompson, John and Tufano, Peter, Where Does it Go? Spending by the Financially Constrained (April 11, 2008). Harvard Business School Finance Working Paper No. 08-083, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1104673 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1104673

Shawn Allen Cole (Contact Author)

Harvard Business School ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan 270C
Boston, MA 02163
United States

John Thompson

H&R Block ( email )

One H&R Block Way
Kansas City, MO 64105
United States

Peter Tufano

Harvard Business School ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan Hall 131
Boston, MA 02163
United States

University of Oxford, Said Business School

Park End Street
Oxford, OX1 1HP
Great Britain

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
371
Abstract Views
3,442
Rank
129,857
PlumX Metrics