Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Regarding the National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households (3064-0167), 18402-18404 [2015-07798]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 65 / Monday, April 6, 2015 / Notices
attempted to describe all the specific
entities that may be affected by this
action.
tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
B. What should I consider as I prepare
my comments for EPA?
1. Submitting CBI. Do not submit this
information to EPA through
regulations.gov or email. Clearly mark
the part or all of the information that
you claim to be CBI. For CBI
information in a disk or CD–ROM that
you mail to EPA, mark the outside of the
disk or CD–ROM as CBI and then
identify electronically within the disk or
CD–ROM the specific information that
is claimed as CBI. In addition to one
complete version of the comment that
includes information claimed as CBI, a
copy of the comment that does not
contain the information claimed as CBI
must be submitted for inclusion in the
public docket. Information so marked
will not be disclosed except in
accordance with procedures set forth in
40 CFR part 2.
2. Tips for preparing your comments.
When preparing and submitting your
comments, see the commenting tips at
https://www.epa.gov/dockets/
comments.html.
3. Environmental justice. EPA seeks to
achieve environmental justice, the fair
treatment and meaningful involvement
of any group, including minority and/or
low income populations, in the
development, implementation, and
enforcement of environmental laws,
regulations, and policies. To help
address potential environmental justice
issues, the Agency seeks information on
any groups or segments of the
population who, as a result of their
location, cultural practices, or other
factors, may have atypical or
disproportionately high and adverse
human health impacts or environmental
effects from exposure to the pesticide(s)
discussed in this document, compared
to the general population.
II. What action is the Agency taking?
Under section 5 of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide
Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. 136c, EPA can
allow manufacturers to field test
pesticides under development.
Manufacturers are required to obtain an
EUP before testing new pesticides or
new uses of pesticides if they conduct
experimental field tests on 10 acres or
more of land or one acre or more of
water.
Pursuant to 40 CFR 172.11(a), the
Agency has determined that the
following EUP application may be of
regional and national significance, and
therefore is seeking public comment on
the EUP application:
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18:14 Apr 03, 2015
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Submitter: Valent U.S.A. Corp.,
(59639–EUP–RI).
Pesticide Chemical: Clothianidin.
Summary of Request: Valent has
submitted an application for an
Experimental Use Permit (EUP)
registration for Clothianidin as a Soil
Applied Treatment for Corn (field, pop,
sweet) to evaluate the effectiveness on
Corn Rootworm. The proposed use dates
are May 15, 2015 through May 16, 2016.
The registrant is requesting use on a
combined total of 500 Acres in
Minnesota, South Dakota and
Wisconsin.
Following the review of the
application and any comments and data
received in response to this solicitation,
EPA will decide whether to issue or
deny the EUP request, and if issued, the
conditions under which it is to be
conducted. Any issuance of an EUP will
be announced in the Federal Register.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.
The
meetings of the CHPAC are open to the
public. The CHPAC will meet on April
21 from 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and
April 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at
the Sheraton Silver Spring, 8777
Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring,
Maryland 20910. An agenda will be
posted at epa.gov/children.
Access and Accommodations: For
information on access or services for
individuals with disabilities, please
contact Martha Berger at 202–564–2191
or berger.martha@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: March 12, 2015.
Martha Berger,
Designated Federal Official.
[FR Doc. 2015–06876 Filed 4–3–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE
CORPORATION
[FR Doc. 2015–07823 Filed 4–3–15; 8:45 am]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request Regarding
the National Survey of Unbanked and
Underbanked Households (3064–0167)
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
AGENCY:
Dated: March 27, 2015.
Susan Lewis,
Director, Registration Division, Office of
Pesticide Programs.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–9925–22–OA]
Notice of Meeting of the EPA’s
Children’s Health Protection Advisory
Committee
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the provisions of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act,
Public Law 92–463, notice is hereby
given that the next meeting of the
Children’s Health Protection Advisory
Committee (CHPAC) will be held April
21 and 22, 2015 at the Sheraton Silver
Spring, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver
Spring, Maryland 20910. The CHPAC
was created to advise the Environmental
Protection Agency on science,
regulations, and other issues relating to
children’s environmental health.
DATES: The CHPAC will meet April 21
and 22, 2015.
ADDRESSES: 8777 Georgia Avenue,
Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Martha Berger, Office of Children’s
Health Protection, USEPA, MC 1107A,
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20460, (202) 564–2191
or berger.martha@epa.gov.
SUMMARY:
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Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation (FDIC).
ACTION: Notice of information collection
to be submitted to OMB for review and
approval under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995.
The FDIC, as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden and as required
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to comment on
the survey collection instrument for its
fourth National Survey of Unbanked
and Underbanked Households (2015
Household Survey), currently approved
under OMB Control No. 3064–0167,
scheduled to be conducted in
partnership with the U.S. Census
Bureau as a supplement to its June 2015
Current Population Survey (CPS). The
survey seeks to estimate the proportions
of unbanked and underbanked
households in the U.S. and to identify
the factors that inhibit the participation
of these households in the mainstream
banking system, and opportunities to
expand the use of banking services
among underserved consumers. The
results of these ongoing surveys will
help policymakers and bankers
understand the issues and challenges
underserved households perceive when
deciding how and where to conduct
financial transactions.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before May 6, 2015.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\06APN1.SGM
06APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 65 / Monday, April 6, 2015 / Notices
Interested parties are
invited to submit written comments by
any of the following methods. All
comments should refer to ‘‘National
Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked
Households’’:
• https://www.FDIC.gov/regulations/
laws/federal/.
• Email: comments@fdic.gov. Include
the name and number of the collection
in the subject line of the message.
• Mail: Gary Kuiper, Counsel,
(202.898.3877), MB–3074, or John
Popeo, Counsel, (202.898.6923), MB–
3007, Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, 550 17th Street NW.,
Washington, DC 20429.
• Hand Delivery: Comments may be
hand-delivered to the guard station at
the rear of the 550 17th Street Building
(located on F Street), on business days
between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Interested members of the public may
obtain a copy of the survey and related
instructions by clicking on the link for
the National Unbanked and
Underbanked Household Survey on the
following Web page: https://
www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/federal/.
Interested members of the public may
also obtain additional information about
the collection, including a paper copy of
the proposed collection and related
instructions, without charge, by
contacting Gary Kuiper or John Popeo at
the address or telephone numbers
identified above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FDIC
is requesting OMB approval to revise
the following collection of information:
Title: National Unbanked and
Underbanked Household Survey.
OMB Number: 3064–0167.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Affected Public: U.S. households.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
42,000.
Average Time per Response: 12
minutes (0.2 hours) per respondent.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 0.2
hours × 42,000 respondents = 8,400
hours.
tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
ADDRESSES:
General Description of Collection
The FDIC recognizes that public
confidence in the banking system is
strengthened when banks effectively
serve the broadest possible set of
consumers. As a result, the agency is
committed to increasing the
participation of unbanked and
underbanked households in the
financial mainstream by ensuring that
all Americans have access to safe,
secure, and affordable banking services.
These National Surveys of Unbanked
and Underbanked Households are one
contribution to this end.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:14 Apr 03, 2015
Jkt 235001
These National Surveys of Unbanked
and Underbanked Households are also a
key component of the FDIC’s efforts to
comply with a Congressional mandate
contained in section 7 of the Federal
Deposit Insurance Reform Conforming
Amendments Act of 2005 (‘‘Reform
Act’’) (Pub. L. 109–173), which calls for
the FDIC to conduct ongoing surveys
‘‘on efforts by insured depository
institutions to bring those individuals
and families who have rarely, if ever,
held a checking account, a savings
account or other type of transaction or
check cashing account at an insured
depository institution (hereafter in this
section referred to as the ‘unbanked’)
into the conventional finance system.’’
Section 7 further instructs the FDIC to
consider several factors in its conduct of
the surveys, including: (1) ‘‘what
cultural, language and identification
issues as well as transaction costs
appear to most prevent ‘unbanked’
individuals from establishing
conventional accounts,’’ and (2) ‘‘what
is a fair estimate of the size and worth
of the ‘unbanked’ market in the United
States.’’ The 2015 Household Survey is
designed to address these factors and
provide a factual basis on the
proportions of unbanked households.
Such a factual basis is necessary to
adequately assess banks’ efforts to serve
these households as required by the
statutory mandate.
To obtain this information, the FDIC
partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau,
which administered the Household
Survey supplement (‘‘FDIC
Supplement’) to households that
participated in the January 2009, June
2011, and June 2013 CPS. The results of
these surveys were released to the
public in December 2009, September
2012, and October 2014, respectively.
The FDIC supplement has yielded
nationally-representative data, not
otherwise available, on the size and
characteristics of the population that is
unbanked or underbanked, the use by
this population of alternative financial
services, and the reasons why some
households do not make greater use of
mainstream banking services. These
National Surveys of Unbanked and
Underbanked Households are the only
population-representative surveys
conducted at the national level that
provides state-level estimates of the size
and characteristics of unbanked and
underbanked households for all 50
states and the District of Columbia. An
executive summary of the results of the
first three Household Surveys, the full
reports, and the survey instruments can
be accessed through the following link:
https://www.economicinclusion.gov/
surveys/.
PO 00000
Frm 00052
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18403
Consistent with the statutory mandate
to conduct the surveys on an ongoing
basis, the FDIC already has in place
arrangements for conducting the fourth
Household Survey as a supplement to
the June 2015 CPS. However, prior to
finalizing the next survey instrument,
the FDIC seeks to solicit public
comment on whether changes to the
existing instrument are desirable and, if
so, to what extent. It should be noted
that, as a supplement of the CPS survey,
the 2015 Household Survey needs to
adhere to specific parameters that
include limits in the length and
sensitivity of the questions that can be
asked of CPS respondents. Specifically,
there is a strict limitation on the average
time required to complete the survey.
Comment Discussion
On January 22, 2015 (80 FR 3234), the
FDIC issued a request for comment on
possible revisions to the 2015
Household Survey. The FDIC received
three comments related to this survey
effort. One of the commenters suggested
that the FDIC collect information on
household asset levels. The commenter
noted that this would allow retail banks
that use asset levels in their
segmentation and strategy work to easily
incorporate data from the 2015
Household Survey into their analyses.
The FDIC seeks to provide insights from
the 2015 Household Survey to inform
efforts to better meet the needs of
underserved consumers, and strongly
encourages use of the survey data by
financial institutions and other
stakeholders. The FDIC is concerned
that households’ asset holdings may be
sensitive information for many
households and that asking for this
information may reduce participation in
the survey. In all of the surveys to date,
including the 2015 Household Survey,
there are no survey questions that ask
households for specific dollar amounts
regarding saving, assets or spending.
The 2015 Household Survey does
contain some new questions that will
help the FDIC better understand
households’ savings behavior, including
ways in which households save money,
and about their ability to meet their
monthly obligations. Detailed data on
households’ asset holdings are available
from other sources, such as the Federal
Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances.
One commenter cautioned against the
use of online methods for conducting
the 2015 Household Survey. The 2015
Household Survey is an intervieweradministered survey conducted by the
Census Bureau in-person or by
telephone.
One commenter recommended that
the 2015 Household Survey retain as
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06APN1
tkelley on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
18404
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 65 / Monday, April 6, 2015 / Notices
many questions as possible from the
2013 Survey, including questions on
prepaid cards, direct deposit and
reasons for not having a bank account,
to allow local and national Bank-On
programs to measure the impact of their
efforts. The FDIC values the ability to
compare results over time and the 2015
Household Survey retains successful
elements of the previous surveys,
including the core unbanked and
underbanked measurements, while also
reorganizing and adding questions to
gain new insights relevant to serving a
diverse range of consumers. The 2015
Household Survey retains many
questions from previous surveys and
continues to collect information on the
use of prepaid cards, direct deposits,
and the reasons for not having a bank
account.
One commenter suggested the
addition of specific questions to
measure household financial fragility to
help understand the connections
between emergency savings and banking
access (i.e., household’s ability to access
$2000). The 2015 Household Survey
does not include this particular question
due to the need to keep the average
length short to reduce non-response.
However, it contains a number of new
questions that will help the FDIC better
understand households’ financial
condition. Specifically, the survey will
ask about ways in which households
save money, their ability to meet their
monthly obligations, their income
volatility, and their access to
mainstream credit.
One commenter suggested collecting
information on a wider range of credit
products. The 2015 questionnaire added
a new section on the use of credit
products, including mainstream banking
credit products (e.g., credit cards, line of
credits) to capture a more complete
picture of households’ use of credit.
However, due to space constraints,
questions are focused on mainstream
credit products that are more likely to
be substitutes for the small-dollar, shortterm credit available from alternative
financial service providers. The
commenter also suggested collecting
more information on the frequency of
use of credit and transaction products in
order to better understand households’
varying intensity of use of these
products. This suggestion is in part
addressed by the revisions made in the
2015 survey. In addition to the use of
financial products in the last 12 months,
the proposed survey also asks
households about their typical use of
these products to better differentiate
regular users from one-time users.
The commenter also made suggestions
to improve the usability of the online
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18:14 Apr 03, 2015
Jkt 235001
tool for analyzing the survey data that
is currently available at
www.economicinclusion.gov. These
comments are helpful and will be taken
into account the next time we consider
revising the tools.
One commenter encouraged the FDIC
to offer training to municipalities and
others on how to use and maximize the
opportunities offered by the custom
table generator at:
www.economicinclusion.gov. The
FDIC’s Community Affairs staff work
with local stakeholders to disseminate
information about how to use and
access the survey data, including the
use of the table generator tool at:
www.economicinclusion.gov. The FDIC
will continue to make sure that this
information is regularly shared in
presentations and outreach materials.
Request for Comment
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of
the FDIC’s functions, including whether
the information has practical utility; (b)
the accuracy of the estimates of the
burden of the information collection; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the information collection on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
The FDIC will consider all comments
to determine the extent to which the
information collection should be
modified prior to submission to OMB
for review and approval. After the
comment period closes, comments will
be summarized and/or included in the
FDIC’s request to OMB for approval of
the collection. All comments will
become a matter of public record.
Dated at Washington, DC, this 1st day of
April 2015.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015–07798 Filed 4–3–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6714–01–P
holding company and/or to acquire the
assets or the ownership of, control of, or
the power to vote shares of a bank or
bank holding company and all of the
banks and nonbanking companies
owned by the bank holding company,
including the companies listed below.
The applications listed below, as well
as other related filings required by the
Board, are available for immediate
inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank
indicated. The applications will also be
available for inspection at the offices of
the Board of Governors. Interested
persons may express their views in
writing on the standards enumerated in
the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the
proposal also involves the acquisition of
a nonbanking company, the review also
includes whether the acquisition of the
nonbanking company complies with the
standards in section 4 of the BHC Act
(12 U.S.C. 1843). Unless otherwise
noted, nonbanking activities will be
conducted throughout the United States.
Unless otherwise noted, comments
regarding each of these applications
must be received at the Reserve Bank
indicated or the offices of the Board of
Governors not later than May 1, 2015.
A. Federal Reserve Bank of San
Francisco (Gerald C. Tsai, Director,
Applications and Enforcement) 101
Market Street, San Francisco, California
94105–1579:
1. PacWest Bancorp, and Pacific
Western Bank, both in Los Angeles,
California; merge with Square 1
Financial, Inc., and thereby indirectly
acquire Square 1 Bank, both in Durham,
North Carolina.
In connection with this application,
Applicants have also applied to acquire
Square 1 Venture Management 1, L.P.,
Durham, North Carolina, and thereby
engage in funds management,
investment advisory, and private
placement activities, pursuant to
sections 225.28(b)(6)(i), (b)(7)(i) and
(b)(7)(iii), respectively.
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System, April 1, 2015.
Michael J. Lewandowski,
Associate Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2015–07792 Filed 4–3–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210–01–P
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
Formations of, Acquisitions by, and
Mergers of Bank Holding Companies
The companies listed in this notice
have applied to the Board for approval,
pursuant to the Bank Holding Company
Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.)
(BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR part
225), and all other applicable statutes
and regulations to become a bank
PO 00000
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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
Notice of Proposals To Engage in or
To Acquire Companies Engaged in
Permissible Nonbanking Activities
The companies listed in this notice
have given notice under section 4 of the
Bank Holding Company Act (12 U.S.C.
1843) (BHC Act) and Regulation Y, (12
CFR part 225) to engage de novo, or to
E:\FR\FM\06APN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18402-18404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07798]
=======================================================================
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FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request Regarding the National Survey of Unbanked and
Underbanked Households (3064-0167)
AGENCY: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
ACTION: Notice of information collection to be submitted to OMB for
review and approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FDIC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment
on the survey collection instrument for its fourth National Survey of
Unbanked and Underbanked Households (2015 Household Survey), currently
approved under OMB Control No. 3064-0167, scheduled to be conducted in
partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau as a supplement to its June
2015 Current Population Survey (CPS). The survey seeks to estimate the
proportions of unbanked and underbanked households in the U.S. and to
identify the factors that inhibit the participation of these households
in the mainstream banking system, and opportunities to expand the use
of banking services among underserved consumers. The results of these
ongoing surveys will help policymakers and bankers understand the
issues and challenges underserved households perceive when deciding how
and where to conduct financial transactions.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 6, 2015.
[[Page 18403]]
ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments by
any of the following methods. All comments should refer to ``National
Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households'':
https://www.FDIC.gov/regulations/laws/federal/.
Email: comments@fdic.gov. Include the name and number of
the collection in the subject line of the message.
Mail: Gary Kuiper, Counsel, (202.898.3877), MB-3074, or
John Popeo, Counsel, (202.898.6923), MB-3007, Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, 550 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20429.
Hand Delivery: Comments may be hand-delivered to the guard
station at the rear of the 550 17th Street Building (located on F
Street), on business days between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested members of the public may
obtain a copy of the survey and related instructions by clicking on the
link for the National Unbanked and Underbanked Household Survey on the
following Web page: https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/federal/.
Interested members of the public may also obtain additional information
about the collection, including a paper copy of the proposed collection
and related instructions, without charge, by contacting Gary Kuiper or
John Popeo at the address or telephone numbers identified above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FDIC is requesting OMB approval to
revise the following collection of information:
Title: National Unbanked and Underbanked Household Survey.
OMB Number: 3064-0167.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Affected Public: U.S. households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 42,000.
Average Time per Response: 12 minutes (0.2 hours) per respondent.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 0.2 hours x 42,000 respondents =
8,400 hours.
General Description of Collection
The FDIC recognizes that public confidence in the banking system is
strengthened when banks effectively serve the broadest possible set of
consumers. As a result, the agency is committed to increasing the
participation of unbanked and underbanked households in the financial
mainstream by ensuring that all Americans have access to safe, secure,
and affordable banking services. These National Surveys of Unbanked and
Underbanked Households are one contribution to this end.
These National Surveys of Unbanked and Underbanked Households are
also a key component of the FDIC's efforts to comply with a
Congressional mandate contained in section 7 of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Reform Conforming Amendments Act of 2005 (``Reform Act'')
(Pub. L. 109-173), which calls for the FDIC to conduct ongoing surveys
``on efforts by insured depository institutions to bring those
individuals and families who have rarely, if ever, held a checking
account, a savings account or other type of transaction or check
cashing account at an insured depository institution (hereafter in this
section referred to as the `unbanked') into the conventional finance
system.'' Section 7 further instructs the FDIC to consider several
factors in its conduct of the surveys, including: (1) ``what cultural,
language and identification issues as well as transaction costs appear
to most prevent `unbanked' individuals from establishing conventional
accounts,'' and (2) ``what is a fair estimate of the size and worth of
the `unbanked' market in the United States.'' The 2015 Household Survey
is designed to address these factors and provide a factual basis on the
proportions of unbanked households. Such a factual basis is necessary
to adequately assess banks' efforts to serve these households as
required by the statutory mandate.
To obtain this information, the FDIC partnered with the U.S. Census
Bureau, which administered the Household Survey supplement (``FDIC
Supplement') to households that participated in the January 2009, June
2011, and June 2013 CPS. The results of these surveys were released to
the public in December 2009, September 2012, and October 2014,
respectively.
The FDIC supplement has yielded nationally-representative data, not
otherwise available, on the size and characteristics of the population
that is unbanked or underbanked, the use by this population of
alternative financial services, and the reasons why some households do
not make greater use of mainstream banking services. These National
Surveys of Unbanked and Underbanked Households are the only population-
representative surveys conducted at the national level that provides
state-level estimates of the size and characteristics of unbanked and
underbanked households for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
An executive summary of the results of the first three Household
Surveys, the full reports, and the survey instruments can be accessed
through the following link: https://www.economicinclusion.gov/surveys/.
Consistent with the statutory mandate to conduct the surveys on an
ongoing basis, the FDIC already has in place arrangements for
conducting the fourth Household Survey as a supplement to the June 2015
CPS. However, prior to finalizing the next survey instrument, the FDIC
seeks to solicit public comment on whether changes to the existing
instrument are desirable and, if so, to what extent. It should be noted
that, as a supplement of the CPS survey, the 2015 Household Survey
needs to adhere to specific parameters that include limits in the
length and sensitivity of the questions that can be asked of CPS
respondents. Specifically, there is a strict limitation on the average
time required to complete the survey.
Comment Discussion
On January 22, 2015 (80 FR 3234), the FDIC issued a request for
comment on possible revisions to the 2015 Household Survey. The FDIC
received three comments related to this survey effort. One of the
commenters suggested that the FDIC collect information on household
asset levels. The commenter noted that this would allow retail banks
that use asset levels in their segmentation and strategy work to easily
incorporate data from the 2015 Household Survey into their analyses.
The FDIC seeks to provide insights from the 2015 Household Survey to
inform efforts to better meet the needs of underserved consumers, and
strongly encourages use of the survey data by financial institutions
and other stakeholders. The FDIC is concerned that households' asset
holdings may be sensitive information for many households and that
asking for this information may reduce participation in the survey. In
all of the surveys to date, including the 2015 Household Survey, there
are no survey questions that ask households for specific dollar amounts
regarding saving, assets or spending. The 2015 Household Survey does
contain some new questions that will help the FDIC better understand
households' savings behavior, including ways in which households save
money, and about their ability to meet their monthly obligations.
Detailed data on households' asset holdings are available from other
sources, such as the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances.
One commenter cautioned against the use of online methods for
conducting the 2015 Household Survey. The 2015 Household Survey is an
interviewer-administered survey conducted by the Census Bureau in-
person or by telephone.
One commenter recommended that the 2015 Household Survey retain as
[[Page 18404]]
many questions as possible from the 2013 Survey, including questions on
prepaid cards, direct deposit and reasons for not having a bank
account, to allow local and national Bank-On programs to measure the
impact of their efforts. The FDIC values the ability to compare results
over time and the 2015 Household Survey retains successful elements of
the previous surveys, including the core unbanked and underbanked
measurements, while also reorganizing and adding questions to gain new
insights relevant to serving a diverse range of consumers. The 2015
Household Survey retains many questions from previous surveys and
continues to collect information on the use of prepaid cards, direct
deposits, and the reasons for not having a bank account.
One commenter suggested the addition of specific questions to
measure household financial fragility to help understand the
connections between emergency savings and banking access (i.e.,
household's ability to access $2000). The 2015 Household Survey does
not include this particular question due to the need to keep the
average length short to reduce non-response. However, it contains a
number of new questions that will help the FDIC better understand
households' financial condition. Specifically, the survey will ask
about ways in which households save money, their ability to meet their
monthly obligations, their income volatility, and their access to
mainstream credit.
One commenter suggested collecting information on a wider range of
credit products. The 2015 questionnaire added a new section on the use
of credit products, including mainstream banking credit products (e.g.,
credit cards, line of credits) to capture a more complete picture of
households' use of credit. However, due to space constraints, questions
are focused on mainstream credit products that are more likely to be
substitutes for the small-dollar, short-term credit available from
alternative financial service providers. The commenter also suggested
collecting more information on the frequency of use of credit and
transaction products in order to better understand households' varying
intensity of use of these products. This suggestion is in part
addressed by the revisions made in the 2015 survey. In addition to the
use of financial products in the last 12 months, the proposed survey
also asks households about their typical use of these products to
better differentiate regular users from one-time users.
The commenter also made suggestions to improve the usability of the
online tool for analyzing the survey data that is currently available
at www.economicinclusion.gov. These comments are helpful and will be
taken into account the next time we consider revising the tools.
One commenter encouraged the FDIC to offer training to
municipalities and others on how to use and maximize the opportunities
offered by the custom table generator at: www.economicinclusion.gov.
The FDIC's Community Affairs staff work with local stakeholders to
disseminate information about how to use and access the survey data,
including the use of the table generator tool at:
www.economicinclusion.gov. The FDIC will continue to make sure that
this information is regularly shared in presentations and outreach
materials.
Request for Comment
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the FDIC's functions,
including whether the information has practical utility; (b) the
accuracy of the estimates of the burden of the information collection;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the
information collection on respondents, including through the use of
automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
The FDIC will consider all comments to determine the extent to
which the information collection should be modified prior to submission
to OMB for review and approval. After the comment period closes,
comments will be summarized and/or included in the FDIC's request to
OMB for approval of the collection. All comments will become a matter
of public record.
Dated at Washington, DC, this 1st day of April 2015.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-07798 Filed 4-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6714-01-P
