2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services | 65

How America Banks: 

Household Use of Banking and Financial Services

Appendix 3. 2019 Survey Instrument

This month we are asking some additional questions about household finances.

[B10 is asked only of households with more than one adult.]

B10. Which of the following best describes how adults in your household handle finances?

 Share all finances [CONTINUE]

 Share some finances [CONTINUE]

 Share no finances at all [GO TO B20]

 I AM THE ONLY ADULT IN THE HOUSEHOLD (VOLUNTEERED) [GO TO B20]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[B15 is asked only of households with adults that share all or some finances.] (B10=1,2)

B15. How much do you participate in making financial decisions for your household?

 A lot [CONTINUE]

 Some [CONTINUE]

 Not at all [TERMINATE]

 DK/REFUSE [TERMINATE]

Now I’m going to ask some questions about accounts that you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) 

might have at banks, including credit unions. 

[B20 is asked of all households.]

B20. Do you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone else in your household) have a checking or savings account now?

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

Now I have a question about prepaid cards. Prepaid cards allow you or others, like relatives, an employer, or a government agency, to load or reload funds that can later be spent. Prepaid cards also allow you to withdraw cash from 

ATMs. I am not asking about gift cards.

[P10 is asked of all households.]

P10. In the past 12 months, that is since June 2018, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone else in your household) 

use any prepaid cards? 

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [IF B20=1, GO TO NBMO10; IF B20=2, GO TO UB10; ELSE TERMINATE] 

 DK/REFUSE [IF B20=1, GO TO NBMO10; IF B20=2, GO TO UB10; ELSE TERMINATE] 
66 | 2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services

[PW10 is asked only of households that used a prepaid card in the past 12 months.] (P10=1)

PW10. The next questions ask where prepaid cards that your household used in the past 12 months came from.

A. Did any of those prepaid cards come from an employer to pay salary or wages? 

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

B. Did any of those prepaid cards come from a government agency?

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

C. Did any of those prepaid cards come from a place or a website that is not a bank? Do not include gift cards or cards that 

can only be used at a particular store or website.

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

D. Did any of those prepaid cards come from a bank branch or a bank website? I am asking about prepaid cards that were 

opened at a bank or a bank website (IF PW10A=1 OR PW10B=1 OR PW10C=1 FILL:, which are different from the other prepaid cards I’ve just asked you about).

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [IF B20=1, GO TO NBMO10; IF B20=2, GO TO UB10; ELSE TERMINATE]

 DK/REFUSE [IF B20=1, GO TO NBMO10; IF B20=2, GO TO UB10; ELSE TERMINATE] 

[PBUSE is asked only of households that used a bank prepaid card in the past 12 months.] (PW10D=1)

PBUSE. Thinking only about the prepaid cards that came from a bank branch or a bank website, do you (IF OTHERS 

AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone else in your household) still use a prepaid card from a bank? 

 YES [GO TO NBMO10] 

 NO [IF B20=1, GO TO NBMO10; IF B20=2, GO TO UB10; ELSE TERMINATE] 

 DK/REFUSE [IF B20=1, GO TO NBMO10; IF B20=2, GO TO UB10; ELSE TERMINATE]

[UB10 is asked only of households that do not have a bank account and do not still use a bank prepaid card.] (B20=2 AND 

NOT(PBUSE=1))

UB10. You mentioned that (IF NOT(OTHERS AGE≥15) FILL: you don’t have a bank account.) (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: no 

one in your household has a bank account.) Have you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone else in your household) ever 

had a bank account?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [GO TO UB50]

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO UB50]
2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services | 67

[UB15 is asked only of households that do not have a bank account and do not still use a bank prepaid card but had a bank 

account in the past.] (UB10=1)

UB15. In the past 12 months, that is since June 2018, have you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) had 

a bank account? 

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

[UB50 is asked only of households that do not have a bank account and do not still use a bank prepaid card.] (B20=2 AND 

NOT(PBUSE=1))

UB50. How interested are you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) in having a bank account?

 Very interested [CONTINUE]

 Somewhat interested [CONTINUE]

 Not very interested [CONTINUE]

 Not at all interested [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[UB55 is asked only of households that do not have a bank account and do not still use a bank prepaid card.] (B20=2 AND 

NOT(PBUSE=1))

UB55. There are different reasons people might not have a checking or savings account. Do any of the following reasons 

apply to you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or others in your household)? Do you not have an account...

A1. Because bank hours are inconvenient?

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

A2. Because bank locations are inconvenient?

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

B1. Because bank account fees are too high? 

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

B2. Because bank account fees are too unpredictable? 

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 
68 | 2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services

C. Because banks do not offer products and services you need? 

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

D. Because you don’t trust banks? 

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

E. Because you don’t have enough money to meet minimum balance requirements?

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

F. Because avoiding a bank gives more privacy?

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

G. Because you cannot open an account due to personal identification, credit, or former bank account problems?

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 

H. Because of some other reason?

 YES (Specify) [CONTINUE] 

 NO [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE] 
2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services | 69

[UB60 is asked only of households that selected more than one reason in UB55A1-H.]

UB60. What is the main reason why no one in your household has an account? (Read only answers marked in UB55A1-H. 

Mark only one.)

 Bank hours are inconvenient [CONTINUE]

 Bank locations are inconvenient [CONTINUE]

 Bank account fees are too high [CONTINUE]

 Bank account fees are too unpredictable [CONTINUE]

 Banks do not offer products and services you need [CONTINUE]

 Don’t trust banks [CONTINUE]

 Don’t have enough money to meet minimum balance requirements [CONTINUE]

 Avoiding a bank gives more privacy [CONTINUE]

 Cannot open an account due to personal identification, credit, or former bank account

problems [CONTINUE]

 Some other reason (Specify) [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

The next few questions are about other financial products or services that you might have used in the past 12 months.

[NBMO10 is asked of all households.]

NBMO10. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) go to some place other 

than a bank to purchase a money order?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [GO TO NBBP10]

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO NBBP10]

[NBMO15 is asked only of households that used a nonbank money order in the past 12 months.] (NBMO10=1)

NBMO15. Was this often, sometimes, or rarely? 

 OFTEN [CONTINUE]

 SOMETIMES [CONTINUE]

 RARELY [GO TO NBBP10]

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO NBBP10]

[NBMO16 is asked only of households that used nonbank money orders often or sometimes in the past 12 months.] (NBMO15=1,2)

NBMO16. Were these money orders used to pay bills? 

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]
70 | 2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services

[NBBP10 is asked of all households.]

NBBP10. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) pay bills through a service like Western Union or MoneyGram? Do not include services from a bank.

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [GO TO NBCC10]

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO NBCC10]

[NBBP15 is asked only of households that used a nonbank bill payment service in the past 12 months.] (NBBP10=1)

NBBP15. Was this often, sometimes, or rarely? 

 OFTEN [CONTINUE]

 SOMETIMES [CONTINUE]

 RARELY [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[NBCC10 is asked of all households.]

NBCC10. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) go to some place other 

than a bank to cash a check?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [GO TO NBRM10]

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO NBRM10]

[NBCC15 is asked only of households that used a nonbank check casher in the past 12 months.] (NBCC10=1)

NBCC15. Was this often, sometimes, or rarely? 

 OFTEN [CONTINUE]

 SOMETIMES [CONTINUE]

 RARELY [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[NBRM10 is asked of all households.]

NBRM10. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) send money to family or 

friends living outside of the US through a service that is not a bank?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [GO TO NBP2P]

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO NBP2P]

[NBRM15 is asked only of households that sent money abroad through a nonbank service in the past 12 months.] (NBRM10=1)

NBRM15. Was this often, sometimes, or rarely?

 OFTEN [CONTINUE]

 SOMETIMES [CONTINUE]

 RARELY [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]
2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services | 71

[NBP2P is asked of all households.]

NBP2P. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) use a website or an app 

that is not a bank to send or receive money within the US? Examples are PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App.

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[CNBPDL is asked of all households.]

CNBPDL. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) take out a payday loan or 

payday advance from a provider other than a bank? 

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[CNBPWN is asked of all households.]

CNBPWN. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) pawn an item at a pawn 

shop? Do not include selling an unwanted item to a pawn shop. 

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[CNBTAX is asked of all households.]

CNBTAX. In the past 12 months, that is since June 2018, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) 

take out a tax refund anticipation loan? This is a way to receive your tax refund faster than the IRS would provide it.

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[CNBATL is asked of all households.]

CNBATL. Auto title loans use a car title to borrow money for a short period of time. They are NOT loans used to purchase 

a car. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) take out an auto title loan?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[CNBRTO is asked of all households.]

CNBRTO. Some stores allow people to rent to own items such as furniture or appliances. We do not mean stores that offer 

installment plans or layaway plans. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) rent anything from a rent-to-own store because it couldn’t be financed any other way?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]
72 | 2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services

[Read only for households that have a bank account or still use a bank prepaid card.] (B20=1 OR PBUSE=1)

Now think about your bank accounts. (IF PBUSE=1 FILL: This includes checking, savings, and prepaid cards from 

a bank.)

[B30 is asked only of households that (have a bank account or still use a bank prepaid card) and that have more than one 

individual aged 15 or older.] ((B20=1 OR PBUSE=1) AND OTHERS AGE≥15)

B30. Who in your household has an account? (Enter line number.)

 1-16 [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[Read only for households that do not have a bank account and do not still use a bank prepaid card but had a bank account in the 

past 12 months.] (UB15=1)

Now think about your bank accounts that you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) had in the past 

12 months.

[BA10 is asked only of households that have a bank account, still use a bank prepaid card, or had a bank account in the past 

12 months.] (B20=1 OR PBUSE=1 OR UB15=1)

BA10. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) access an account 

(IF NOT(B20=1) AND PBUSE=1 FILL:, including a prepaid card that you got at a bank,) in any of the following ways? 

A. Visiting a bank teller?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

B. Using an ATM or bank kiosk?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

C. Calling the bank? 

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

D. Using a mobile phone, including an app?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]
2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services | 73

E. Using a computer or tablet?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

F. Any other way? 

 YES (Specify) [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[BA10X is asked only of households that (have a bank account, still use a bank prepaid card, or had a bank account in the past 

12 months) and that did not indicate YES to any questions in BA10A-F.] (B20=1 OR PBUSE=1 OR UB15=1) AND (NOT(BA10A=1 OR 

BA10B=1 OR BA10C=1 OR BA10D=1 OR BA10E=1 OR BA10F=1))

BA10X. In the past 12 months, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) access a bank account in 

any way? 

 YES [GO TO BR10] 

 NO [GO TO BR10] 

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO BR10] 

[BA15 is asked only of households that selected more than one access method in BA10A-F.]

BA15. What was the most common way that you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) accessed an 

account? (Read only answers marked in BA10A-F. Mark only one.)

 Visiting a bank teller? [CONTINUE]

 Using an ATM or bank kiosk? [CONTINUE]

 Calling the bank? [CONTINUE]

 Using a mobile phone, including an app? [CONTINUE]

 Using a computer or tablet? [CONTINUE]

 Other (Specify) [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[BR10 is asked only of households that did not access an account by visiting a bank teller.] (NOT(BA10A=1))

BR10. (IF B20=2 AND NOT(PBUSE=1) FILL: Even though you don’t currently have an account with a bank,) In the past 

12 months, have you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) spoken with a teller or other employee in 

person at a bank branch? 

 YES [CONTINUE] 

 NO [GO TO A20] 

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO A20] 
74 | 2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services

[BR15 is asked only of households that spoke with a teller or other employee in person at a bank branch in the past 12 months.] 

(BA10A=1 OR BR10=1)

BR15. How many times have you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) spoken with a teller or other 

employee in person at a bank branch in the past 12 months? 

 1 to 4 times in the past 12 months [CONTINUE]

 5 to 9 times in the past 12 months [CONTINUE]

 10 or more times in the past 12 months [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[A20 is asked only of households that have a bank account, still use a bank prepaid card, or had a bank account in the past.] 

(B20=1 OR PBUSE=1 OR UB10=1)

A20. (IF B20=1 OR PBUSE=1 FILL: Now, think about your experience with your household’s primary bank. How satisfied 

are you with your bank?) (IF UB10=1 FILL: Now, think about your experience with the bank your household most recently 

had an account with. How satisfied were you with your bank?)

 Very satisfied [CONTINUE]

 Somewhat satisfied [CONTINUE]

 Not very satisfied [CONTINUE]

 Not satisfied at all [CONTINUE] 

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[A40 is asked of all households.]

A40. (IF B20=1 OR PBUSE=1 FILL: How clearly do you think your bank communicates account fees?) (IF B20=2 AND 

NOT(PBUSE=1) FILL: Now, think about banks in general. How clearly do you think banks communicate account fees?) 

 Very clearly [CONTINUE]

 Somewhat clearly [CONTINUE] 

 Not very clearly [CONTINUE]

 Not clearly at all [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

The next few questions are about how people borrow money, and types of credit products or loans that you 

might have. 

[CCC10 is asked of all households.]

CCC10. In the past 12 months, have you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) had a credit card from 

Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover? Please do not include debit cards.

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]
2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services | 75

[CPL10 is asked of all households.]

CPL10. In the past 12 months, have you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) had a personal loan or 

line of credit from a bank? Do not include student loans, or loans taken out to make major purchases like a house or car.

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[CA10 is asked of all households.]

CA10. In the past 12 months, that is since June 2018, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) apply 

for a new credit card, or a personal loan or line of credit at a bank?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [GO TO CA20]

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO CA20]

[CA15 is asked only of households that applied for a new credit card, or a personal loan or line of credit at a bank, in the past 

12 months.] (CA10=1)

CA15. Did the lender or creditor turn down this request for new credit or not give as much credit as you (IF OTHERS 

AGE≥15 FILL: or someone in your household) applied for?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[CA20 is asked of all households.]

CA20. Was there any time in the past 12 months that you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) thought 

about applying for a new credit card, or a personal loan or line of credit at a bank, but didn’t apply because of concerns of 

being turned down?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

Now I’m going to ask about saving money.

[S10 is asked of all households.]

S10. Even if you later spent it, did you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone in your household) set aside any money in the 

past 12 months that could be used for unexpected expenses or emergencies? I’m only asking about funds that could be 

easily spent if necessary, and am not asking about retirement or other long-term savings. 

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]
76 | 2019 FDIC Survey of Household Use of Banking and Financial Services

Now I have a few final questions.

[H10 is asked of all households.]

H10. Which best describes your household’s income over the past 12 months? (Mark only one.)

 Income is about the same each month [CONTINUE]

 Income varies somewhat from month to month [CONTINUE]

 Income varies a lot from month to month [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[H20 is asked of all households.]

H20. Do you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone else in your household) currently own or have regular access to a 

mobile phone? 

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [GO TO H40]

 DK/REFUSE [GO TO H40]

[H30 is asked only of households that have a mobile phone.] (H20=1)

H30. Are any of these mobile phones a smartphone with features to access the Internet, send emails, and download apps?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

[H40 is asked of all households.]

H40. Do you (IF OTHERS AGE≥15 FILL: or anyone else in your household) currently have regular access to the Internet at 

home, using a desktop, laptop, or tablet computer?

 YES [CONTINUE]

 NO [CONTINUE]

 DK/REFUSE [CONTINUE]

<END>