Yiling Zhang
I am an applied quantitative researcher specializing in personal finance. I work with large datasets and also collect my own data through surveys. I study topics broadly in financial decision-making, including the cultural dynamic of financial behaviors and various aspects of consumption decisions. Most of my work focuses on how people track their spending to manage their finances, as well as why and how expense-tracking affects financial well-being.
Review my CV for more details
Research Interests
Household/Consumer Finance; Fintech; Behavioral Economics; Consumer Decision-Making; Food Insecurity;
Teaching Interests
Household/Consumer Finance; Family Economics; Consumer Behavior; Consumer Policy; Consumer Analytics; Applied Econometrics/Statistics;
Education
- Ph.D. Consumer Behavior and Family Economics University of Wisconsin-Madison May 2024 (Expected)
- Master of Public Administration Cornell University May 2018
- Bachelor of Law Fudan University June 2016
Research
(Job Market Paper) Financial Self-regulation: How Does Expense-Tracking Inform Financial Behaviors
This paper examines expense-tracking as a self-regulatory behavior within the context of financial self-regulation using administrative-level user data from a Chinese financial app and survey data from American respondents.
How Do Individuals Keep Tabs on Personal Spending
This paper combines subjective behavioral data from a self-designed survey with objective behavioral data from the administrative-level user data from a Chinese financial app to examine the motivations, methods, and timing of expense-tracking practices and their impact on financial outcomes. Its findings reveal how people engage in expense-tracking behavior and carry some policy implications for current financial education.
The Fresh Start Effect: How Temporal Landmarks Promote Expense-tracking Behavior
This paper explores the role of the “fresh start effect”, the tendency to pursue aspirational behaviors following temporal landmarks among people with a fresh start mindset, in motivating expense-tracking, using online search data and administrative data from a Chinese tracking app.
Published Articles
Addo, F. R., & Zhang, Y. (2019). The Emerging Millennial Wealth Gap. New America.
Abstract: Wealth inequality among different racial and ethnic groups has been a defining feature of American society. However, new dynamics are emerging with the rise of the Millennial generation that will likely impact the extent of future divides. In this chapter, we examine racial wealth inequality among Millennial young adults. Along with summarizing wealth profiles of young Millennials of color, we explore wealth inequality within the context of historical legacies of Black-White wealth inequality, the proliferation of debt—specifically student loan debt—and the ongoing marital retreat. We also examine how the association of income and education with wealth vary significantly by race and ethnicity and contribute to pre-existing/intergenerational wealth gaps. If the trends we describe continue—and are ignored by policymakers—dramatic levels of inequality according to race and ethnicity will endure for decades to come.
Contact Info
Email: zhang2254@wisc.edu
Personal Website: www.yiling-zhang.com
Yiling Zhang's Personal Website 