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FEAR & GREED | Business News

Ask Fear & Greed: Why haven't we gone cashless?

Feb 25, 2025
Listener Lisa questions why society remains attached to cash despite a shift towards digital payments. The hosts delve into who still uses cash, revealing surprising demographics. They highlight the issues cash alleviates and the challenges of a fully cashless society. Government efforts to maintain cash services and the risk of losing cash accessibility during banking outages are discussed. They ponder the future of cash, suggesting it may wane but persist in specific scenarios.
08:11

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The decline in cash usage spans all demographics, showing that even rural communities are adapting to electronic payments due to improved connectivity.
  • Despite the trend towards cashless transactions, certain groups, particularly the elderly, still prefer cash for its perceived security during technical failures.

Deep dives

The Decline of Cash Usage

The use of cash in transactions has significantly decreased, primarily from 32% to around 16% as reported a few years ago, with current figures potentially being even lower due to the impact of COVID-19. Initially, it was assumed that cash users were predominantly older individuals or those in lower socioeconomic groups; however, recent evidence indicates that the decline spans all demographics and locations. Connectivity improvements mean that even rural areas, once reliant on cash due to limited card options, have adapted to electronic payments. The podcast highlights this trend, noting how the shift towards cashless payments is occurring across all age groups and financial backgrounds.

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