Professor
College of Letters & Science | School of Human Ecology | La Follette School of Public Affairs
J. Michael Collins is the Fetzer Family Chair in Consumer & Personal Finance in the School of Human Ecology, a Professor at the La Follette School of Public Affairs, a family economics specialist for the Division of Extension, and an affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty, Center for Demography and Ecology, the UW Survey Center and the School of Social Work.
Collins studies consumer decision-making in the financial marketplace, including the role of public policy in influencing credit, savings and investment choices. He is involved in studies of household finance and well-being supported by leading foundations and federal agencies. He leads the UW Retirement and Disability Research Consortium research center funded by the Social Security Administration. In addition to the edited volume, A Fragile Balance: Emergency Savings and Liquid Resources for Low-Income Consumers, Collins co-authored the textbook: Financial Capability and Asset Building: A Textbook for ProfessionalsTalks:
Financial Wellbeing
This data-driven narrative shows generational patterns of financial wellbeing as people make financial choices through their lives. The discussion includes barriers and threats to financial wellbeing across life stages and the role of policies and programs for financial security.