This study is the first to assess whether smartphone apps can be utilised to improve financially capable behaviours. In this study four smartphone apps, packaged together under the title ‘Money Matters’, were provided to working-age members (16–65 years) of the largest credit union in Northern Ireland (Derry Credit Union). The smartphone apps consisted of a loan interest comparison app, an expenditure comparison app, a cash calendar app, and a debt management app. The assessment methodology used was a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) with the U.K. Financial Capability Outcome Frameworks used to set the context for the assessment. For those receiving the apps (the treatment group) statistically significant improvements were found in a number of measures designed to gauge ‘financial knowledge, understanding and basic skills’ and ‘attitudes and motivations’. These improvements translated into better financially capable behaviours; those receiving the apps were more likely to keep track of their income and expenditure and proved to be more resilient when faced with a financial shock.
Bringing refugees from crisis to flourishing: The role of resettlement agencies and the church in facilitating integration and stability
Refugee resettlement in recent months has become an issue of intense debate in the United States. An issue that was once viewed as a humanitarian one has now taken on political significance. It has become a commonly discussed subject in public circles and one that requires an opinion regarding its good or evil. Despite these…