DALLAS, June 24, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- With a population base of nearly 43 million people, the underbanked offer an immense, untapped consumer segment for federally-insured banks. 'Wooing the Underbanked' is a market research study designed specifically to understand the financial needs of the underbanked. The report offers vital market data for banks intending to tap this consumer segment, identifying the most profitable ways to ensure its economic inclusion into the traditional banking cycle.
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The underbanked are educated and employed but are reluctant to use traditional banking products such as debit/ credit cards and short term loans, primarily due to the fear of hidden costs and convenience issues. They make little use of the services provided by the mainstream financial institutions, limiting themselves to traditional banking services such as checking/ savings accounts.
However, the underbanked and the unbanked together spend around $10.4 billion annually on more than 324 million alternate financial services (AFS), such as non-bank money orders, payday lending, check cashing facilities, rent-to-own agreements, and refund anticipation loans. The report analyzes the various reasons for the low adoption of traditional banking products by underbanked and their preference for AFS.
The report identifies the traditional and novel banking and financial services that banks can offer these consumers, indicating prepaid cards as a potential financial vehicle for banks to penetrate the underbanked segment. The prepaid card industry generated $290 billion in 2009. Our research suggests that a significant proportion of the underbanked in the U.S. prefer prepaid cards to checking accounts for basic financial transactions, provided the costs are equal. Prepaid cards can also help the underbanked enhance their credit scores, provided the card-issuer reports regularly to the three main credit bureaus.
Not all underbanked customers afford equal market opportunity. A significant number of consumers have a thin or no credit file, while others have prime and subprime credit scores. Our segmentation of the consumer segment by credit scores and the tendency to use cash as a means of transaction will help banks judge the consumers' propensity towards different banking products, and thus to formulate successful product development strategies. The report also segments the underbanked on the lines of income, age, education, and region, and race to help banks refine their marketing, distribution, and risk minimization initiatives for the underbanked.
Key findings from the report
- Our estimates suggest that in 2009, approximately 21 million
or 18% of all U.S. households were underbanked.
- An estimated 32% of the African-American population is
underbanked, followed by American Indians/ Alaskan Indians at
approximately 29%.
- As the underbanked already have basic savings and checking
accounts, it is easier for banks to cross-sell and up-sell their
products to this segment.
- Ineffective differentiation between underbanked and unbanked
has been the primary challenge that has so far hindered banks from
effectively tapping the underbanked.
- Underbanked mostly use alternate financial services (AFS)
instead of banking (transaction and credit) products because of the
former's customizability, easy availability, and minimal need for
personal information. In addition, many underbanked localities also do
not have an adequate number of bank branches.
- The prepaid card industry is expected to reach a market size
of $791 billion in 2014 at a CAGR of 22.2% from 2009 to 2014.
- Open-loop cards accounted for approximately 32.4% to the
total amount loaded in prepaid card in 2009. Open-loop prepaid cards
are expected to surpass closed-loop cards due to their convenience and
accessibility.
- Large banks have introduced low denomination loans to
compete against pay-day loans offered by AFS providers.
- Banks have opened branches and kiosks at retail stores to
tap underbanked market. This strategy is often successful since
customers are already used to visiting retail establishments for
shopping and are often reluctant to visit traditional bank branches.
- To improve customer access and acceptance, banks are setting
up branches in the vicinity of the target community, imparting
financial education to up-sell their products; and applying targeted
marketing initiatives.
- As non-bank check cashing and non-bank money orders form the
most demanded financial service by the underbanked, banks have
introduced cashing check and money orders for non-clients at their
branches.
- Very few banks are using prepaid cards to tap the
underbanked, though network-branded open-loop prepaid cards have gained
popularity with almost all sections of society. These cards have been
monopolized by the non-bank facilities.
- Banks are focusing on efforts such as extended hours, bank
staff who speak varied languages, and modification to retail operations
in order to more effectively tap the underbanked market.
Scope of the report
- Strategy Formulation
Market definition, industry overview, market size, key drivers, and
issues in wooing the underbanked
- Business Models
Go-to-market strategies, how to reach the underbanked with
what products, competitive pricing strategies, risk factors, underwriting
and collections
- Customer Needs and Attitudes
- Vendor Analysis
About MarketsandMarkets
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