Evaluating the Effectiveness of Financial Coaching at Catholic Charities Dallas

Last registered on January 19, 2022
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Financial Coaching at Catholic Charities Dallas
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0008842
Initial registration date
January 19, 2022

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 19, 2022, 4:25 PM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Patrick Turner
Affiliation
University of Notre Dame
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
William Skimmyhorn
PI Affiliation
William and Mary
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2020-11-01
End date
2024-12-31
Keywords
Finance & Microfinance, Labor
Additional Keywords
Financial Coaching, employment services
JEL code(s)
D14, G50
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We will implement a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of the FSCS program at CCD. FSCS participants work through a year-long program with a suite of services aimed at their long-term growth. The program includes multiple services including one-on-one financial coaching and education, HUD counseling, rent and utility assistance, employment services, and targeted financial assistance to incentivize behaviors. By bundling the provision of financial, housing, and employment services under one roof as a part of a year-long commitment, CCD aims to not only help clients address their immediate needs, but also help them make progress toward their long-term goals and aspirations. CCD will aim to recruit approximately 800 study participants over two years starting in December 202. Outcomes will be measured in administrative data on credit usage, employment and earnings, and government program participation, as well as through a 12-month follow-up survey.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Skimmyhorn, William and Patrick Turner. 2022. "Evaluating the Effectiveness of Financial Coaching at Catholic Charities Dallas." AEA RCT Registry. January 19. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.8842-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Operated by Catholic Charities Dallas (CCD), Financial Support and Career Services participants work through a year-long program with a suite of services aimed at their long-term growth. The program includes multiple services including one-on-one financial coaching and education, HUD counseling, rent and utility assistance, employment services, and targeted financial assistance to incentivize behaviors. By bundling the provision of financial, housing, and employment services under one roof as a part of a year-long commitment, CCD aims to not only help clients address their immediate needs, but also help them make progress toward their long-term goals and aspirations.
Intervention Start Date
2021-01-01
Intervention End Date
2023-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Financial well-being index; credit access and repayment; earnings and employment; SNAP receipt; mental well-being index
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
See pre-analysis plan for more details.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study is an RCT, and those assigned to treatment and control groups should look similar to each other on average. Thus, any difference in outcomes between the groups can be attributed to their treatment status. The research team will estimate differences in outcomes using the following intent-to-treat (ITT) model:
𝑦 = 𝛼 + 𝛽𝑇 + 𝑋Γ + 𝜖
Where y is an outcome measure in the period of interest, and X represents a vector of observed characteristics measured prior to random assignment. The variables in X will include demographic characteristics such as age, age squared, categorical race indicators, indicators for ethnicity and gender, pre-randomization measures of the outcome variable (when available), and month of application fixed effects. The key covariate in the analysis will be the dummy variable for treatment status T which equals one if the respondent is in a relevant treatment group and zero otherwise.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
A computerized coin flip randomizes participants in a SurveyCTO form.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
800 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
800 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
400 treatment individuals; 400 control individuals
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
The intended sample size is 800 clients (400 in treatment, 400 in control). Assuming 30 percent attrition (i.e., non-match rate or non-response rate), a 5 percent type-1 error rate and 80 percent power, we would be able to detect a minimum ITT effect size of 0.24 standard deviations. See the pre-analysis plan for more information.
Supporting Documents and Materials

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
The University of Notre Dame Institutional Review Board
IRB Approval Date
2020-09-28
IRB Approval Number
20-09-6225
Analysis Plan

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