College of Education and Human Development

Family Social Science

Joyce Serido

  • Pronouns: she/her/hers

  • Professor and Extension Specialist

Joyce Serido

Areas of interest

Financial Parenting
Coping with Financial Stress
Family Finances and Young Adults’ Behaviors
Stability and Change in Financial Capability
Financial Behavior and Romantic Relationships

I am not accepting new advisees for fall 2024.

Degrees

Ph.D., Family Studies and Human Development, University of Arizona
M.S., Family Studies and Human Development, University of Arizona
M.B.A., Finance, Seton Hall University
B.A., French Literature, English Literature, Rutgers University

Biography

Advising statement

I am interested in financial behavior as a bidirectional and unfolding family process. Specifically, I study how families communicate and interact about finances and how these processes affect financial behavior. My research focuses on three interrelated life domains: (1) financial parenting; (2) financial behavior and economic well-being; and (3) financial behavior and romantic relationships.

APLUS Pathways to Life Success: Young adult autonomy can be viewed as the foundation for adult thriving. In this research, adult thriving is defined as higher levels of well-being across multiple life domains.  APLUS is the first ever longitudinal study to examine the connection between finances and well-being. how young people develop financial behaviors and how those behaviors relate to financial capability and well-being as adults. With five waves of survey data collected over 8 years from a single cohort of college freshmen, the APLUS study has become a key reference point for insights into how college educated millennials perceive financial well-being and life quality.

Financial parenting: In this line of research, I examine the ways that parents influence the financial behaviors of their children, and how parenting practices promote self-reliance or continued dependence. My long tem research goal is to explore the associations between parenting practices and age-appropriate financial behaviors among low income and ethnically diverse youth. 

Financial behavior and economic well-being: Because economic inclusion is important for families and for the economy, I seek to understand how people cope with changing financial and social demands. The insights from this research identify what information and skills people need to make informed financial choices.

Financial behavior and early romantic relationships: Early adulthood is a time for forming committed romantic relationships. In this line of research, I examine how young adults in the early stages of a romantic relationship integrate their own family financial norms and values with a partner’s family financial norms and values.

Much of my work draws from studies using the Arizona Pathways to Life Success for University Students (APLUS), a ten-year longitudinal research study of a 2007 cohort of college students. I was the Principal Investigator of this multidisciplinary initiative that examined the association between early adult financial behaviors and adult life success.

Outreach & Engagement

Outreach means seeking opportunities to disseminate research findings beyond academic audiences, to engage practitioners and educators who work with youth and families in the community.

At the state and local level, I speak about strategies that parents and teachers can use to help youth make more informed age-appropriate financial choices (MPR, WCCO, Minnesota Daily, Mom Enough)

At the national level, I provide insights on financial issues affecting college students, particularly regarding college classes in personal finance (Chronicle of Higher Education)

I also participate in discussions to inform national policy for improving the financial capability of Americans with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), the Federal Reserve (Boston, Minneapolis, and Oklahoma City), the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), The Society for Financial Education and Professional Development, the Jump$tart Coalition, the Department of Defense Military Families Learning Network, and The Society for Financial Education and Professional Development.

Publications

Friedline, T., West, S., Rosell, N., Serido, J., & Shim, S. (2017). Do community characteristics relate to young adult college students’ credit card debt? American Journal of Community Psychology, 59(1-2), 80-93. 

Bosch, L. A., Serido, J., Card, N., Shim, S., & Barber, B. L. (2016). Predictors of financial identity development in emerging adulthood. Emerging Adulthood. doi:  10.1177/2167696816631845.

Serido, J., Curran, M. A., Wilmarth, M., Ahn, S. Y., Shim, S., & Ballard, J. (2015). The unique role of parents and romantic partners on young adults’ financial attitudes and behaviors. Family Relations, 64(5), 696-710.

Shim, S., Serido, J., Tang, C., & Card, N. (2015). Socialization processes and pathways to healthy financial development for young adults. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 38, 29-38

Serido, J. & Joseph, M. (2014). Challenging assumptions: Crossing disciplinary divides to make knowledge about gender and finance. Feminist Formations, 26(2), 52-83. 

Serido, J., Shim, S., Xiao, J. J., Card, N., & Tang, C. (2014). Financial adaptation among college students: Helping students cope with financial strain. Journal of College Student Development, 55(3), 310-316. 

Serido, J., Shim, S., & Tang, C. (2013). A framework for promoting financial capability among young adults. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 37(4), 287-297. 

Shim, S., Serido, J., Bosch, L. & Tang, C. (2013). Financial identity styles among young adults: A longitudinal study of socialization factors and consequences on financial capabilities. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 47(1), 128-152. 

Shim, S., Serido, J., & Barber, B.L., (2011). A consumer way of thinking: Linking consumer socialization and consumption motivation perspectives to adolescent development. Journal of Research on Adolescence: Decade in Review, 21(1), 290-299.

Serido, J., Shim, S., Mishra, A., & Tang, C. (2010). Financial parenting, financial coping behaviors and well-being of emerging adults. Family Relations: Special Issue, 59,453-464.

Presentations

Curran, M. A., Serido, J., Ahn, S. Y., Parrott, E., & Shim, S. (2017, November). Perceived Financial Influences and Various Young Adults’ Outcomes. In M. A. Curran and J. Serido (Chairs), Relationships and Finances: Multiple Influences and Multiple Outcomes. National Council on Family Relations, Orlando, FL.

Sorgente, A.,  Serido, J.,  Lanz, M., & Shim, S. (2017, November). Financial well-being and transition towards adulthood: What come first? In M. Lanz (Chair), How much does financial issue count during emerging adulthood.  Society for the Study of Emerging Adults (SSEA), Washington DC.

Serido, J. (2017, September). Approaching 30: Adult financial capability, stability, and well-being. Forum for Research and Practice on Financial Education. National Endowment for Financial Education. Washington, DC.

Serido, J. (2017, April). Solving the puzzle of paying for higher education. Minnesota Jump$tart Annual Teacher Training, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Minneapolis, MN

Shim, S. & Serido, J. (2017, July). Psychological and socio-economic correlates of student loan payment behavior. Presented at EFPA 15th European Congress of Psychology 2017, Amsterdam, NE.

Serido, J., Ahn, S. Y. & Powell, S. (2016, November). Promoting financial capability among adolescents and emerging adults. Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Annual Symposium. Louisville, KY.

Serido, J., Rea, J., & Catalpa, J. (2016, November). A young adult perspective on family influences and financial well-being. In S. Bartolomae and C. Gudmunson (Chairs), Family financial socialization and financial passage into adulthood. National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN.

Serido, J., Deenanath, V., Burcher, S., & Rudi, J. (2016, November). How do parents promote financial self-efficacy in young adult children? In J. Serido (Chair), Parenting young adults: Changing practices for different outcomes. National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference. Minneapolis, MN.

Serido, J., Deenanath, V., Burcher, S. (2016, June). The financial behavior of low-income and ethnically diverse first-year college students: The power of parenting and self-beliefs. American Council on Consumer Interests Annual Conference. Washington, DC

Serido, J. (2016, April). Financial Literacy of Youth: Whose Responsibility Is It? Minnesota Jump$tart Annual Teacher Training, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Minneapolis, MN.

Recent News

"How parents can find the right time to cut the financial cord with their children," Star Tribune

"Rethinking single-family living: Roommates pay bills, build community," The Washington Post

"Talking relationship finance with U of M," Grand Rapids Herald Review

"What is a credit card?" Million Bazillion program, Marketplace, APM

"Building a better understanding of personal finances," Wadena Pioneer Journal 

"Financial literacy leads to informed decisions," Litchfield Independent Review via crowrivermedia.com

"U prof talks about getting young people thinking about finances," St. Peter Herald, via SouthernMinn.com

"Understanding financial literacy," WXOW 

"Talking financial literacy," UMN News 

"The value of reviewing," The Editor's In podcast

"How much do we owe in student debt? How did we get here?" WCCO-TV

"How to Stop Your Teen's Financial Stress before it Starts," ThriveGlobal.com

"Experts Weigh in on current job trends," Zippia.com

"Enrollment in graduate school could rise after the COVID-19 recession," Minnesota Daily

"Who benefits from suspension of loan payments and interest?" Minnesota Daily

"Andrew Yang says teaching people financial literacy ‘is very difficult if they don’t have money’." MarketWatch

"Talking family finance with...", UMN News

"How can young people get better with money?" MPR News with Angela Davis

"Ask the Expert," WalletHub

"Setting your teenager up for financial success," KARE-11 News

"The trait that determines whether you're good with money," The Cut, New York magazine

"Should We Tell Our Kids How Much We Make?" WCCO-TV

Teaching and Learning

As an Extension Specialist, my teaching focuses on connecting research and practice to engage individuals, communities, state. and national organizations in addressing pressing issues facing families. From this perspective, my teaching occurs outside the traditional classroom. My teaching goal is to provide families with access to research-based resources on financial capability.

I collaborate with Extension Educators and Community Partners, to empower youth and their families to make more informed financial choices, particularly regarding academic achievement and financing higher education.

Honors and Awards

2013 Professional Achievement Award presented by the Council of Alumni and Friends of the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Arizona 

2011 American Council of Consumer Interests Poster Award: Do past financial knowledge and positive behaviors portend change or continuity among young adults during economic crisis?