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Though it could make debt management and budgeting easier, many people in the country may not have a checking account, though banks may have other ways they can reach these consumers.

One of those options may be a mobile phone, according to a recent report from Javelin Strategy & Research. The firm found that 68 percent of consumers who do not have a checking account do have a mobile device, which they could use to access banking services.

There are a few reasons why consumers may go without a bank account. Some consumers may not have access to bank chains, which has proven especially true in less affluent areas of a metropolitan area. Others may feel they cannot trust banks, which may be even more true given the financial difficulties faced by the country in the last few years.

“To overcome this mistrust, financial institutions must reach out to these communities and create personalized programs in the underserved consumers’ primary languages,” said Mary Monahan, research director for Javelin Strategy & Research.

Overall, the study from the organization found that 25 percent of people in the country do not have a checking account, with many of those unable to access financial services. That’s where cellphones may be able to play a role, as mobile banking becomes more popular.

Another option these consumers have turned to are prepaid and payroll cards. The organization said 20 percent of underbanked people has used one of these products in the 90 days preceding its survey.

A number of companies, including Walmart, have turned to payroll cards in order to give their employees their due. The federal government has also turned to plastic in order to get people their Social Security and disability payments.

By Lewis Green

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