AFCPE Member Awards: Outstanding Research Journal Article of the Year

The AFCPE Outstanding Research Journal Paper of the Year recognizes the most impactful and rigorous scholarship published in the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning. All published papers are automatically nominated, making this a true peer-driven honor. Winning papers demonstrate a thorough review of the literature, sound research methodology including strong operational definitions, appropriate measuring instruments, robust statistical analyses, and creative, innovative approaches to applying findings in practice. Congratulations to the 2025 recipients Kinga Barrafrem, Mario Kienzeler, Gustav Tinghog, and Daniel Vastfjall for their paper “The Effect of Scarcity and Information Avoidance on Debt Management Behavior.” We invite you to explore publishing opportunities. 

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Celebrating Our Outstanding Research Journal Article of the Year Winners

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2025: “The Effect of Scarcity and Information Avoidance on Debt Management Behavior”
Kinga Barrafrem, Mario Kienzeler, Gustav Tinghog, and Daniel Vastfjall
Linkoping University
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Volume 43 Issue 3
white background with rows of grey dots and a blue U as the logo for urban institute

2024: “Could Coaching Improve Consumer Credit Use Behavior? Evidence From a State Program”
Brett Theodos, Daniel Teles
and Benny Docter
The Urban Institute
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Volume 34 Issue 3
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2023: The Value of Financial Education During Multiple Life Stages
Philip Gibson, Janine K. Sam, and Yuanshan Cheng
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Volume 33 Issue 1, April 2022
Black waves in front of a globe

2022: Can Workplace Financial Counseling Help Lower-Income Workers Improve Credit Outcomes?
Mathieu R. Despard, Yingying Zeng, Sophia Fox-Dichter, Ellen Frank-Miller, and Michal Grinstein-Weisse
Social Policy Institute
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Volume 32 Issue 3

2021: Use of Visualization Tools to Improve Financial Knowledge: An Experimental Approach
D. Elizabeth Kiss, CFP® and Michael J. Kothakota, PhD, CFP®
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Vol 31 Issue 2

2020: Financial Transparency Scale: Its Development and Potential Uses
Emily Koochel, MS, PhD, Melinda Stafford Markham, MS, PhD, Duane Crawford, MA, PhD and Kristy Archuleta, MS, PhD
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 31, Issue 1
top two boxes are headshots of white men, left with a brown beard, right clean shaven. Bottom left is a headshot of a white woman with glasses and blond hair, to the right is a man in graduation attire with grey hair

2019: The Impact of Financial-Aid Format on Students’ Collegiate Financing Decisions
Mac Festa, Kip Holderness, MA, Presha Neidermeyer, and Ade Neidermeyer Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 30, Issue 1
two men shaking hands, one with grey hair in a suit, the other with brown hair and a brown beard in a dark blazer, grey sweater, and white collared shirt

2018: Future Orientation and Household Financial Asset Liquidity
David Allen Ammerman and Maurice MacDonald
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 29, Issue 1

2017: Financial Software Use and Retirement Savings
Dr. Qianwen Bi, Dr. Michael Finke, CFP®, and Sandra J. Huston, PhD Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 28, Issue 1
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2016: Financial Literacy and Long- and Short-Term Financial Behavior in Different Age Groups
Robin Henager, PhD and Brenda J. Cude Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 27, Issue 1
headshots of two white man, on the left in a dark suit and tie smiling with a dark background, on the right smiling with glasses

2015: Factors Associated with Getting and Dropping Financial Advisors Among Older Adults: Evidence from Longitudinal Data
Benjamin F. Cummings, PhD, CFP® and Russell N. James, III, JD, PhD, CFP® Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 25, Issue 2
Top row from left to right, white man looking serious wearing a gray suit and tie, middle is a woman smiling with blond hair in a dark blazer and red shirt, right is a black and white headshot of a man with grey hair in a collared shirt and dark tie. bottom row are headshots of two woman, left a black woman with salt and pepper hair and glasses, to the right with short brown hair and a light blue blazer and blue shirt

2014: Credit Card Behavior as a Function of Impulsivity and Mother’s Socialization Factors
Justin Henegar, Kristy Archuleta, John Grable, Sonya Britt-Lutter, NaRita Anderson, and Anita Dale
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 24, Issue 2
headshots of an asian woman in a dark blazer and light colored collared shirt and a colored man in a dark blazer, blue collared shirt and red tie

2013: Childhood Financial Socialization and Young Adults’ Financial Management
Jinhee Kim and Swarn Chatterjee
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 24, Issue 1
older white man with light hair wearing a dark suit, white collared shirt and dark tie

2012: Connections to Economic Prosperity: Money Aspirations from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood
Ivan Beutler
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Volume 23, Issue 1
headshots of a white man with blonde hair wearing glasses and a red sweater and an asian man wearing glasses and a tan blazer

2011: The Financial Management Behavior Scale: Development and Validation
Jeffery Dew and Jing Jian Xiao
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 22, Issue 1
The black and yellow outlined P for purdue university logo

2010: Utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Convenience Use of Credit Cards.
Leann Rutherford and Sharon A. DeVaney
Purdue University
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Volume 20, Issue 2
three headshots left to right. a white man in a collared shirt and dark tie, a white woman with blonde hair smiling in a dark sweater, a black man in a gray suit and tie

2009: Environmental and Biopsychosocial Profiling as a Means for Describing Financial Risk-Taking Behavior
John E. Grable, Sonya L. Britt, and Farrell J. Webb
Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Volume 19, Issue 2

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