Are you a person with a disability aged 18 or older and living in Waterloo Region? Participation involves an hour-long in-person interview that asks about your financial experiences using alternative financial services (i.e., financial services from non-traditional financial institutions), such as buy-now-pay-later, check-cashing services, and payday loans, among others. If needed, I can arrange a Zoom interview instead. By sharing your lived financial experiences, you can help society better understand the financial challenges/opportunities faced by people with disabilities (PWDs). You will receive a $50 honorarium for participating in the interview. To learn more about the research, please see the letter of information here.
What is this research about?
Much evidence suggests that PWDs in Canada are turning to fringe financial institutions or alternative financial services, such as buy now, pay later, check-cashing services, and payday loans, among others, to meet their financial needs. Nevertheless, PWDs’ lived financial experiences in using alternative financial services are often overlooked in the literature.
The goal of this research is to understand how PWDs manage their finances when using alternative financial services. It will look at why PWDs choose these services, whether they make their financial situation better or worse, and how they deal with unfair practices (if any). It will also examine what might need to change in this sector.