Dr. Kim's Research Program

Overview

  • Area of Research Specialization:
    Household finance, Consumer economics, Financial planning, Financial literacy, Financial education.
  • Rooted in consumer financial decision-making:
    i) household financial decisions throughout the life course, ii) retirement preparedness and iii) the effect of financial literacy and financial education on household decisions.
  • Mission/Goal: To help US households improve and maximize financial well-being.​

​Household Financial Decisions

  • Saving/Investment
  • Credit/borrowing behavior
  • Debt management
  • Financial advice seeking
  • Investment delegation

Retirement Preparedness

  • Retirement adequacy
  • Retirement saving
  • Retirement age (timing)
  • Pension/Annuity
  • Decumulation of assets

Financial Literacy/Education

  • The effect of financial literacy
  • The effect of financial education
  • Measurement of financial literacy
  • Overconfidence in financial literacy
Dr. Kim has published over 60 peer reviewed research articles that are currently published or in press including Applied Economics Letters, Economics Letters, Economic Modelling, Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, Financial Planning Review, Financial Services Review, Financial Research Letters, International Journal of Consumer Studies, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Journal of Financial Planning,  Journal of Financial Research, Journal of Poverty, Race and Social Problems and Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting. 
Research Grants/Funding Received 
  • Research Grant Program, Inchon National University, South Korea (2022-2023)
    (grant title: Understanding about Generation Z: Financial literacy and financial behaviors, role: principal investigator)
  • The FINRA Investor Education Foundation funds research and educational projects (2022-2023)
    (grant title: Asian Americans' Financial Capability, role: principal investigator)
  • ​National Endowment Financial Education (NEFE)’s Research Funding Program (2020-2022)
    (grant title: Efficacy in Measuring Financial Literacy, role: co-principal investigator)
  • Financial Supervisory Service, South Korea (2021)
    ​(grant title: Implications to adopt financial literacy investigation in foreign countries, role: co-principal investigator)
  • Research Grants Committee (RGC) at University of Alabama (2015), role: principal investigator

Service history - Academic journal
  • Associate Editor
    - Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal (FCSRJ)
  • Editorial board
    - International Journal of Bank and Marketing (IJBM)
    - Journal of Consumer Affairs (JCA)
    - Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning (JFCP)
    - Journal of Financial Planning (JFP)