Helping The Principal Foundation Empower Youth

The Opportunity

The Principal Foundation helps future generations earn and save for their financial futures. To deliver on this mission, they needed to understand the existing financial struggles and headwinds facing 15 to 36-year-olds in the United States. Focusing on low- to moderate-income (LMI) youth, they partnered with Vital Findings to explore the struggles of today, and to uncover unique opportunities to empower young people toward a brighter tomorrow.

The Twist

We used a mixed-methods approach that began with video interviews. The interviews revealed the financial challenges facing LMI youth, while the nature of the video format revealed the language they use to discuss finances. Speaking in their terms was key as we then looked to quantify their attitudes and behaviors, and to layer in the richness of their personal stories.

The Impact

The study’s findings were unveiled at a public on-site press release from Principal Financial, and are publicly available. The work was featured in several financial publications such as Market Watch and Motley Fool, and has been used by the Principal Foundation to guide LMI youth toward financial security.