We investigate whether the use of mobile money can help individuals build savings to face
predictable and unpredictable life events. Studying the case of Burkina Faso, we use hand …

The COVID-19 crisis has led to substantial reductions in earnings. We propose a new
measure of financial vulnerability, computable through survey data, to determine whether …

Half of the world's adult population is excluded from using even the most basic formal
financial services, despite the large potential benefits (Chaia et al., 2009; Demirguc-Kunt …

M-PESA is a remarkably successful mobile payments system launched in Kenya three years
ago. Users are able to send money to each other conveniently from their M-PESA using only …

Access to formal financial services is a key determinant of financial inclusion and yet,
informal mechanisms still dominate the financial system in developing countries. In this …

In general, Americans are not savers, which contributes to their inability to absorb even
small financial shocks and increases their potential for financial hardship. Savings …

The law of diminishing marginal productivity dictates that scarce resources earn a high
return. Why then, does capital not flow to the poor, its most productive users? This has been …

Having a bank account is widely regarded as the first step toward financial inclusion of the
poor. Funds deposited in a bank account are also observed to lead to higher savings …

The Behavioral Life‐Cycle hypothesis (Thaler & Shefrin,) models consumers as having both
impatient “doer” preferences, representing their desire to spend now, and patient “planner” …

Recent studies have shown that the majority of the poor lack access to formal banking
services of any kind and have emphasized the importance of enabling savings. Does access …