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Deposit Collectors

Author

Listed:
  • Ashraf Nava

    (Harvard Business School, nashraf@hbs.edu)

  • Karlan Dean

    (Yale University, dean.karlan@yale.edu)

  • Yin Wesley

    (University of Chicago, wyin@uchicago.edu)

Abstract

Informal lending and savings institutions exist around the world, and often include regular door-to-door deposit collection of cash. Some banks have adopted similar services in order to expand access to banking services in areas that lack physical branches. Using a randomized control trial, we investigate determinants of participation in a deposit collection service and evaluate the impact of offering the service for micro-savers of a rural bank in the Philippines. Of 137 individuals offered the service in the treatment group, 38 agreed to sign-up, and 20 regularly used the service. Take-up is predicted by distance to the bank (a measure of transaction costs of depositing without the service) as well as being married (a suggestion that household bargaining issues are important). Those offered the service saved 188 pesos more (which equates to about a 25% increase in savings stock) and were slightly less likely to borrow from the bank.

Suggested Citation

  • Ashraf Nava & Karlan Dean & Yin Wesley, 2006. "Deposit Collectors," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 6(2), pages 1-24, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:advances.6:y:2006:i:2:n:5
    DOI: 10.2202/1538-0637.1483
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    Cited by:

    1. Felipe Kast & Dina Pomeranz, 2013. "Saving More to Borrow Less: Experimental Evidence from Access to Formal Savings Accounts in Chile," Harvard Business School Working Papers 14-001, Harvard Business School, revised Jun 2014.
    2. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt, 2008. "Access to Finance: An Unfinished Agenda," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 22(3), pages 383-396, November.
    3. John, Anett, 2014. "Just a few cents each day: can fixed regular deposits overcome savings constraints?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 58103, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Karlan, Dean & Morduch, Jonathan, 2010. "Access to Finance," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4703-4784, Elsevier.
    5. Incekara-Hafalir, Elif & Linardi, Sera, 2017. "Awareness of low self-control: Theory and evidence from a homeless shelter," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 39-54.
    6. Miriam Bruhn & David McKenzie, 2009. "In Pursuit of Balance: Randomization in Practice in Development Field Experiments," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(4), pages 200-232, October.
    7. Prina, Silvia, 2015. "Banking the poor via savings accounts: Evidence from a field experiment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 16-31.
    8. Meyer, Jeff & Masa, Rainier D. & Zimmerman, Jamie M., 2010. "Overview of Child Development Accounts in developing countries," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(11), pages 1561-1569, November.
    9. Pascaline Dupas & Dean Karlan & Jonathan Robinson & Diego Ubfal, 2018. "Banking the Unbanked? Evidence from Three Countries," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 257-297, April.
    10. Dean Karlan & Margaret McConnell & Sendhil Mullainathan & Jonathan Zinman, 2010. "Getting to the Top of Mind: How Reminders Increase Saving," NBER Working Papers 16205, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Buehren, Niklas, 2011. "Allocating Cash Savings and the Role of Information: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Uganda," Proceedings of the German Development Economics Conference, Berlin 2011 16, Verein für Socialpolitik, Research Committee Development Economics.
    12. Felipe Kast & Stephan Meier & Dina Pomeranz, 2012. "Under-Savers Anonymous: Evidence on Self-Help Groups and Peer Pressure as a Savings Commitment Device," NBER Working Papers 18417, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Pierre Bachas & Paul Gertler & Sean Higgins & Enrique Seira, 2021. "How Debit Cards Enable the Poor to Save More," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(4), pages 1913-1957, August.
    14. Brutscher, P., 2012. "Self-Disconnection Among Pre-Payment Customers - A Behavioural Analysis," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1214, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    15. Pascaline Dupas & Dean Karlan & Jonathan Robinson & Diego Ubfal, 2018. "Banking the Unbanked? Evidence from Three Countries," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 257-297, April.
    16. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Patrick Honohan, 2009. "Access to Financial Services: Measurement, Impact, and Policies," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 24(1), pages 119-145, February.
    17. Anett John (née Hofmann), 2014. "When Commitment Fails - Evidence from a Regular Saver Product in the Philippines," STICERD - Economic Organisation and Public Policy Discussion Papers Series 55, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE.
    18. Xavier Giné & Dean Karlan & Jonathan Zinman, 2010. "Put Your Money Where Your Butt Is: A Commitment Contract for Smoking Cessation," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(4), pages 213-235, October.
    19. John, Anett, 2014. "Just a few cents each day: can fixed regular deposits overcome savings constraints?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 58103, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    20. Michael Hamp & Carolina Laureti, 2011. "Balancing flexibility and discipline in microfinance: Innovative financial products that benefit clients and service providers," Working Papers CEB 11-044, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    21. Akbas, Merve & Ariely, Dan & Robalino, David A. & Weber, Michael, 2016. "How to Help Poor Informal Workers to Save a Bit: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Kenya," IZA Discussion Papers 10024, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    microfinance; microsavings; development economics; behavioral economics; time management;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • G1 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets
    • G2 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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