Since June we have been talking with 56 low- to moderate-income households about their financial lives. This report summarizes what we have learned from these in-depth interviews.

The extreme volatility and uncertainty in the number of COVID-19 cases, the subsequent economic impact, and the actions taken by governments and the private sector have had a direct impact on individual households in our study. Their employment status, unemployment benefits, income, savings behavior, and coping strategies all varied greatly from pre-COVID through the end of September.