Rules of Thumb Toolkit

This toolkit focuses on the design of rules of thumb (ROTs): simple, actionable guidelines that can help consumers with financial decision-making. If designed well, they are easy for consumers to remember and clearly communicate the action required. This toolkit will guide you through a consumer-centric process to create rules of thumb that can be deployed to consumers and assess the impact they have on financial decision-making.

Key Takeaways

• Designing and offering a simple, clear, and actionable rule to consumers has the potential to change financial decision-making and positively impact consumers’ behavior.
• Delivery is key. A rule of thumb needs to reach consumers through the right channel(s) and at the right time(s) to be effective.
• Gather information to develop insights into consumers behaviors, attitudes, actions, and beliefs as they relate to the defined problem.

Consumer-Centric Process 

• Identify the consumer problem that the rule of thumb is trying to address. It is important to have a clear problem statement to guide the entire design process.
• Gather information to develop insights into consumers behaviors, attitudes, actions, and beliefs as they relate to the defined problem.
• Develop options for your rules of thumb content, communication designs, and delivery channels and then test, and re-test, them with consumers.
• Developing clear problem statements provides the basis to create rules that will work.
• Delivery is key. A rule of thumb needs to reach consumers through the right channel(s) and at the right time(s) to be effective.