In collaboration with ING, Nibud and Leiden University, he looked at the financial state of five thousand Dutch households.
‘Black and white display’
In the research, about which The Financial Times message, not only issues such as debts or income were considered, but also, for example, the situation of respondents, their attitude, behavior and feelings with regard to income, expenditure, saving, borrowing and planning. Only 27 percent of those surveyed are doing well, according to the researchers.
They say there is a need for broader research into ‘financial health’ because “in this country it seems like there are only two options. With financial problems you are unhealthy, without you are healthy. But that’s too black and white. representation of reality.”
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According to the researcher, someone is financially healthy if they can comfortably meet current and ongoing obligations and pursue life goals with financial security.
Women financially unhealthier
Among the respondents there are differences between men and women. The latter group scores less well in most areas. For example, men have a higher income, they can get by better, they have larger savings buffers and they predict their income better.
Furthermore, people in large cities are less likely to be financially healthy than elsewhere, according to the researchers, because more self-employed people and young people live there. In addition, they more often have to deal with circumstances such as divorce and redundancy.
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