Submissions

Author Guidelines

Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the journal’s submission guidelines and submitted through the PHFL submission system. Additional details regarding formatting, review timelines, and publication policies are available on the journal’s website.

PHFL is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible scholarly forum that bridges research and practice in personal and household finance. We look forward to your submissions.

Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

Authors submitting manuscripts to Personal Finance and Household Finance Literature (PHFL) must prepare their manuscripts in accordance with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), 7th edition, unless otherwise noted below.

General Formatting

• Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx).
• Use 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced throughout, including references, tables, and figure captions.
• Set 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Left-align text and use a ragged right margin (do not justify).
• Include page numbers in the top right corner of each page.
• Use standard paragraph indentation (0.5 inches).

Manuscript Length

• Full-length manuscripts should generally be no more than 2,500 words, exclusive of references, tables, and figures.
• Shorter submissions (e.g., practice briefs, teaching notes, or conceptual essays) are encouraged.

Title Page

The title page should be submitted as a separate file and include:

• Manuscript title
• Author names and institutional affiliations
• Corresponding author’s contact information
• Author ORCID IDs (if available)
• Any acknowledgments or funding disclosures

To support blinded review, author-identifying information should not appear in the main manuscript file.

Abstract and Keywords

• Provide an abstract of 150–250 words.
• The abstract should briefly describe the purpose, methods (if applicable), key findings, and implications.
• Include 3–6 keywords immediately following the abstract.

Headings

Use APA 7th edition heading levels consistently:

• Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case
• Level 2: Left-Aligned, Bold, Title Case
• Level 3: Left-Aligned, Bold Italic, Title Case
• Level 4: Indented, Bold, Title Case, ending with a period.
• Level 5: Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, ending with a period.

Tables and Figures

• Place tables and figures in the body of the manuscript.
• Number tables and figures consecutively (e.g., Table 1, Figure 1).
• Provide clear, descriptive titles and notes as needed.
• Follow APA guidelines for formatting and source attribution.

Citations and References

• Use APA in-text citation format (author, year).
• Include a complete reference list at the end of the manuscript.
• References must be double-spaced with a hanging indent.
• Ensure all in-text citations appear in the reference list and vice versa.
• Include DOIs where available.

Numbers, Abbreviations, and Style

• Follow APA guidelines for numbers, abbreviations, capitalization, and bias-free language.
• Use inclusive, person-first language where appropriate.
• Avoid excessive jargon; writing should be accessible to both scholars and practitioner audiences.

Ethical and Disclosure Statements

• Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
• Research involving human participants must indicate IRB approval or exemption, when applicable.
• The use of AI or AI grammatical checking software should be acknowledged.
• Funding sources should be clearly identified.

File Submission

Authors should submit:

1. A blinded manuscript file
2. A separate title page
3. Any supplemental materials (if applicable)

Final Notes

Manuscripts not prepared in accordance with these guidelines may be returned to authors for revision prior to review. PHFL is committed to a rigorous, developmental, and efficient review process, and adherence to these guidelines helps facilitate timely evaluation.