This paper studies the effects of descent rules on human capital accumulation. We exploit a policy experiment in Ghana …-landed households. This evidence is consistent with the fact that before the reform matrilineal groups in Ghana "over-invested" in …

and productivity growth is low. We apply our theory to the windfalls of Norway, Iraq and Ghana. The optimal size of Ghana …’s liquidity fund is tiny even with high prudence. Norway’s liquidity fund is bigger than Ghana’s. Iraq’s liquidity fund is … to invest. We illustrate how this can speed up the process of development in Ghana despite domestic absorption …

randomly gave cash and in-kind grants to male- and female-owned microenterprises in urban Ghana. Our findings cast doubt on the …

and junior high schools in Ghana. One program integrated financial and social education, whereas the second program only … offered financial education. Both programs included a voluntary after-school savings club that provided students with a locked … money box. After nine months, both programs had significant impacts on savings behavior relative to the control group …

relationship between aggregate fertility and household savings. First, we document that parents perceive children as an important … source of old-age support and that in partial equilibrium, increased fertility lowers household savings. Then, we construct … equilibrium effects can substantially overstate the effect of a change in aggregate fertility on households savings. …

Evidence on the effectiveness of financial education and formal savings account access is lacking, particularly for … shows the education plus account treatment increases bank savings relative to account-only. But survey-measured total … savings shows roughly equal increases across all treatment arms. Earned income also increases in all treatment arms. We find …

to exist. It also predicts where formal insurance is likely to flourish: insurance groups that hold savings become more … Ethiopian funeral insurance groups and their members to motivate and test our model. Those which hold savings and collect …

crisis. The paper recommends obligatory private savings at a variable rate where the time path of the savings rate is chosen …