Latinos in US make financial progress, but discrimination persists: Nerdwallet

NEW YORK -- A recent study found the financial capability of Latinos in the United States improved over the last decade, but obstacles to Latino wealth remains, according to a report on Nerdwallet.

Between 2009 and 2021, the number of Latinos reporting that they had set aside some amount of emergency savings nearly doubled, from 29 percent in 2009 to 48 percent in 2021, Nerdwallet reported on May 30.

On the whole, Latino adults reported they were "better able to manage everyday money matters" and experienced less "financial fragility" in 2021 compared to 2009, it noted. However, the study attributed some of the financial gains by Latinos to broader trends in the financial sector, and not necessarily gains specific to the Latino community.

"The reality is the wealth gap between Latino and non-Latino households remains stark," it said. According to the US Census Bureau, the median net worth of Latino households in 2020 was 52,190 US dollars, compared with 195,600 dollars for non-Latino households. Latinos are more likely to face barriers to retirement benefits, too.

The study also found that Latinas reported greater "financial fragility" and "difficulty paying expenses" than Latino men; Latinos without a college degree and/or with incomes below 50,000 dollars reported more "difficulty paying expenses" and "financial fragility" than those with a college degree or earning more than 50,000 dollars, and Black Latinos and lower-income Latinos were more likely to use high-cost borrowing services than non-Black and higher-income Latinos.