This paper shows that poor people (Oportunidades beneficiaries) do save money in a bank account when the government provides them one. It also presents statistics of the use of ATM cards by the same population. The paper gives a glimpse of the huge bancarization potential of paying cash transfer...

In this paper, we use Japanese micro data to examine what characteristics borrowing-constrained households have and whether borrowing constraints have an important influence on household consumption behavior. We identify borrowing-constrained households using three different indicators, some of...

Income variability and additional medical consumption should be major shocks for farm households in developing countries. This paper investigates risk coping measures against these different types of shocks using Vietnamese Living Standard Measurement Study. Estimating results suggest that...

Group liability in microcredit purports to improve repayment rates through peer screening, monitoring, and enforcement. However, it may create excessive pressure, and discourage reliable clients from borrowing. Two randomized trials tested the overall effect, as well as specific mechanisms. The...

This paper investigates economic growth under liquidity constraints by taking into account the choices of fertility, human capital and saving. In a model of four overlapping generations, parents are altruistic towards their offspring and finance their education investment. The government...

Female “empowerment” has increasingly become a policy goal, both as an end to itself and as a means to achieving other development goals. Microfinance in particular has often been argued, but not without controversy, to be a tool for empowering women. Here, using a randomized controlled...

Commitment devices for savings could benefit those with self-control as well as familial or spousal control issues. We examine the impact of a commitment savings product in the Philippines on household decision making power and savings attitudes. We find evidence to support both types of...

This paper explores the extent of consumption smoothing between 1981 and 1985 in rural Burkina Faso. In particular, we examine the extent to which livestock, grain storage and interhousehold transfers are used to smooth consumption against income risk. The survey coincided with a period of...

Commitment devices for savings could benefit those with self-control as well as familial or spousal control issues. We find evidence to support both motivations. We examine the impact of a commitment savings product in the Philippines on household decision making power and self-perception of...