Multiple interest rate analysis (MIRA) is the study of all interest rate solutions to the time value of money (TVM) equation. These solutions include not only the orthodox solution produced by a financial calculator or spreadsheet but also the unorthodox solutions that a typical financial...

A model is developed for peasant households in land abundant areas who choose between two technologies for land preparation: a manual one and one using draught animals. For draught a minimum number of animals is required so that a technological non convexity exists. It follows that certain...

Credit constraints are central to development economics theory. However, there is scant direct evidence that supports the existence of such constraints. Traditional tests observe how consumption changes after an unexpected income shock. Such changes can also result from myopic behavior or...

In recent years, microfinance institutions have expanded into group lending with individual liability, leaving out the joint liability clause which was an important feature in earlier lending contracts. Recent experimental evidence indicates that group lending may yield benefits, specifically...

We study the impact of exchange rate risk on an exporting firm in a developing country when there is no forward market in the foreign currency. However there exists a forward traded asset in this country the price of which is highly correlated to the foreign currency. By indirectly hedging its...

This paper analyzes the interaction between the success of group lending institutions and the stock of social capital (modeled by the level of trust) in the community where the group lending programs are located. Agents play a finitely repeated “trust game” in parallel with a finitely...

We study how inefficiencies of market failure may be further amplified by political choices made by interest groups created in the inefficient market. We take an occupational choice framework, where agents are endowed heterogeneously with wealth and talent. In our model, market failure due to...

We look at liquidity constraints and the financing of household investment in fixed assets. We find that rural households in our sample, especially the poor, seem to face liquidity constraints. The constraints are partially mitigated by kinship networks in the village. When we further analyze...

Millions of households worldwide rely on savings groups (SGs) to satisfy their financial needs, yet very little is known about these groups' ability to meet them. In this paper, we provide a description of the basic structure and functioning of SGs, develop a theoretical model based on this...

Improving productivity among microenterprises is important, especially in low-income countries where market imperfections are pervasive, and resources are scarce. Relaxing credit constraints can increase the productivity of microenterprises. Using a field experiment involving agricultural...