On April 4, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman, Martin J. Gruenberg, delivered a speech on the FDIC’s economic inclusion strategy. The speech highlighted the FDIC’s commitment to economic inclusion, efforts to understand the size and characteristics of the unbanked market, and past FDIC economic inclusion efforts.

When Chairman Gruenberg highlighted previous FDIC inclusion efforts, he noted that the unbanked rate fell from 8.2 to 4.5 percent during the decade ending in 2021, with even steeper decreases for some minority populations. He also announced a new economic inclusion strategic plan to expand customers’ participation in the banking system and help households achieve greater financial security. The plan would intend to help customers build credit, including through small-dollar lending programs with affordable rates, and calls for specific steps to encourage bank lending and investments in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.