Making the Case for Customer Prototyping for Financial Planners to Increase Savings Behavior

Abstract

Evidence has shown that personal savings behaviors are at low levels for individuals within the United States, with the problem only being enhanced by low levels of financial literacy among the general population. Failure to properly plan for retirement, unemployment, poor borrowing strategies, and debt are all attributed to ignorance of basic financial concepts. While steps have been taken to analyze effectiveness and promote financial education and literacy, it solves only one facet of improving savings behavior. Thus, privatesector financial planning firms need to implement customer prototyping on the microeconomic level to improve savings behavior of individuals of varying market segments.