Welcome to the Personal Finance Research Centre

The Personal Finance Research Centre is an independent research centre that specialises in social research across all areas of personal finance, mainly from the consumer's perspective. Much of our work focuses on the following areas:

Financial exclusion and inclusion.
Credit use and over-indebtedness.
Financial capability and financial decision-making.
Money management and savings.

Our team has expertise in designing, undertaking and analysing both large-scale quantitative and in-depth qualitative research. We conduct research for a wide range of organisations, including government departments, trade associations, charities and the private sector.

We combine extensive empirical research skills with a detailed understanding of a range of social policy issues. Our work has been influential in shaping public policy, and we provide technical and policy advice to government departments and others.

News and updates

19 November 2009
Experts, including Professor Elaine Kempson and Andrea Finney, give their perspectives on The Genworth Index of consumer financial vulnerability. Watch the video 'Experts give perspectives on the Genworth Index'.

18 November 2009
Our report on the third wave of the Genworth Index reveals a promising, if small, fall in levels of consumer financial vulnerability in Europe since 2008 and has also been extended beyond Europe for the first time to include the USA. Read more about the Genworth Index of consumer financial vulnerability.

2 September 2009
Our report, Regression analysis of the unbanked using the 2006-07 Family Resources Survey, has been published by the Financial Inclusion Taskforce.

28 August 2009
Our report, Saving in lower-income households, has been published by the Financial Inclusion Taskforce. Read more about saving in lower-income households.

27 July 2009
Almost ten years since the first independent research into fee-charging debt advice and management, the Money Advice Trust commissioned PFRC to undertake a review to provide an update on the fee-charging debt management industry in the UK. Read more about PFRC's independent review of the fee-charging debt management industry.

22 July 2009
A number of the UK's leading housing and economics experts have been brought together by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) to develop a series of long-term policy options that would help end the cycle of boom and bust in the housing market. Kate Barker, who authored the Barker Review of housing supply, and Professor Elaine Kempson, are among the experts. Read more about the JRF Housing Market Taskforce.

1 April 2009
Current research section updated:

Wealth and Assets Survey analysis

27 March 2009
The impact of the credit crunch on Britain's poorest households. Read more.

10 March 2009
The Department for Work and Pensions have published our report presenting findings from a qualitative study exploring attitudes towards investment choice and risk within the personal accounts pension scheme.

5 March 2009
Findings are published today from our research to understand the attitudes and behaviours of non-working partnered parents living in low-income households where neither partner is in receipt of out-of-work benefits. For further information read the report - 'Making decisions about work in one-earner couple households' or see our press release for a brief summary of the findings.

4 March 2009
Our report, Individual investment behaviour: a brief review of research, has been published by the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority.

12 February 2009
Current research section updated:

11 February 2009
Our recently published report on the Financial Services Authority's 'Consumer Purchasing and Outcomes Survey' has been added to the publications section of the site.

Contact:
Personal Finance Research Centre
School of Geographical Sciences
University of Bristol
Bristol BS8 1SS, UK.

tel: +44 (0)117 928 8634
fax: +44 (0)117 928 7878
e-mail: ggy-pfrc@bristol.ac.uk

How to find us