The Saint John Community Loan Fund and NB Social Pediatrics have completed a survey exploring the complex issue of financial inclusion for low-income citizens.
It looked at personal and systemic barriers to banking services, health care, and voting.
Approximately 157 New Brunswick and Nova Scotia residents were surveyed about their experiences with banking, finances, and identification.
It was discovered that 75 per cent of participants were interested in a biometric alternative to traditional identification, such as an eye scan, or fingerprint.
“So, if you think about we walk into a bank, and we have to give them a bank card, but they don’t have a bank card, instead they just use their fingerprint,” said Darlene Jones, financial literacy coordinator, for the Saint John Community Loan Fund.
Another alternative that more than half of participants were interested in was an ID Bank solution.
“So that’s where people would bring their important documents to us, and we would store them safely, and that’s a way of actually building trust with them, and when they need that document they can come to us, and we will send that off for them,” added Jones.
The full report can be found HERE.
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