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NEW YORK (AP) — More Americans have access to a checking or savings account, according to a survey released Thursday by federal regulators, a sign that the improving economy is helping lift the nation's poorest households. Having a checking or savings account is considered a cornerstone of financial stability in the U.S. Without one, households must rely on check-cashing services, prepaid debit cards and other costly ways to pay bills and make routine transactions. The portion of Americans who do not have a bank account, known in industry jargon as the "unbanked," declined to 7 percent in 2015 from 7.7 percent in 2013, according to the FDIC. The improvements came mostly from households making less than $15,000 a year and among minority populations, particularly black and Hispanic households. While the gains were modest, the results of the survey from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation offered an encouraging sign. The FDIC report is the most recent piece of data showing that the economic recovery is beginning to positively affect those at the bottom. The Census Department in September said median household income rose 5.2 percent from 2014 to 2015 , the first annual increase in that metric since before the Great Recession. That same report showed the proportion of Americans in poverty also fell last year, from 14.8 percent to 13.5 percent, the biggest annual decline in nearly 50 years. The improving economy likely had some impact on why more Americans opened bank accounts. Not only did more Americans making less than $15,000 open bank accounts between 2013 and 2015, but the number of Americans making less than $15,000 also declined. There are several reasons why people will choose not to have a traditional bank account. Some do not trust banks or want to avoid their fees, or they have privacy concerns, according to the FDIC's report. There is also a perception among the unbanked that bank accounts are not for the poor. More than half of unbanked households said they believe banks are "not at all interested" in serving households like theirs, the report said. But the No. 1 reason why Americans say they do not have a checking or savings account is that they believe they do not have enough money to get an account. The FDIC said roughly 57 percent of all unbanked households cited lack of money as a reason not to have an account, and roughly 38 percent of those same people said that was the main reason. The FDIC conducts a survey of the unbanked and underbanked every two years, gathering the data on odd years and releasing the results roughly a year later. The figures released Thursday were gathered in June 2015, so the results do not reflect improvements in the economy since then. ___ Ken Sweet covers banks and consumer financial issues for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kensweet .

Survey: More Americans now have access to bank accounts