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Enhancing Credit Access for Low- and Moderate-Income Communities
FRB of St. Louis
2026.01.06
While many people interact with the financial system by using bank accounts and borrowing money, others encounter barriers to accessing reliable and affordable financial products and services.

Research shows that lower-income people struggle the most with financial access. For example, a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis found that, of the adults living in the Eighth Federal Reserve District, those in low- and moderate-income communities had the least access to consumer credit because they had no credit score or a low credit score.

The Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024 (PDF) report found that adults with lower incomes are less likely to have bank accounts and more likely to use small loans from nonbanks, such as payday loans, which often have a higher borrowing cost.

On Oct. 22-23, the inaugural Crossing the Credit Barrier conference brought researchers, bankers, community leaders, and others from across the nation together to connect and to discuss the state of banking and credit for low- and moderate-income communities. More than 450 people participated in the hybrid conference, which was held at the St. Louis Fed and co-sponsored by the Federal Reserve banks of Boston, Philadelphia and Richmond.