IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/soceco/v95y2021ics2214804321001142.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

To double, quadruple, or keep? Semi-automated service increases micro-investments

Author

Listed:
  • Riitsalu, Leonore
  • Uusberg, Andero

Abstract

Automated financial services remedy present biased financial behaviour by nudging users towards investing. Although these services increase investments, they deprive users of the experience of making prudent decisions that would satisfy their need for autonomy. Assuming that freedom of choice facilitates autonomy, we hypothesized that the addition of an element of choice to an automated micro-investment service would increase the amounts invested. To test this idea, we randomised 825 volunteer users of a micro-investments service at an Estonian bank to receive different versions of weekly emails offering a choice to double, quadruple, or keep the money they had accrued for investment through the service. We found that the treatment increased the average investment per participant by 20 to 36%. The effectiveness of the treatments was independent of a number of financial, socio-economic, or personality characteristics other than income. We conclude that the addition of elements of choice to automated investment services has a significant potential to increase investments and improve financial well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Riitsalu, Leonore & Uusberg, Andero, 2021. "To double, quadruple, or keep? Semi-automated service increases micro-investments," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:95:y:2021:i:c:s2214804321001142
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2021.101774
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214804321001142
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socec.2021.101774?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard H. Thaler & Shlomo Benartzi, 2004. "Save More Tomorrow (TM): Using Behavioral Economics to Increase Employee Saving," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(S1), pages 164-187, February.
    2. Daniel Fernandes & John G. Lynch & Richard G. Netemeyer, 2014. "Financial Literacy, Financial Education, and Downstream Financial Behaviors," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(8), pages 1861-1883, August.
    3. Tim Kaiser & Lukas Menkhoff, 2017. "Does Financial Education Impact Financial Literacy and Financial Behavior, and If So, When?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 31(3), pages 611-630.
    4. Pascual-Ezama, David & Paredes, Mercedes Rodríguez & Sanchez-Martín, María-del-Pilar & de Liaño, Beatriz Gil-Gómez, 2018. "Shorter and easier is more useful: A longitudinal analysis of how financial report enforcement affects individual investors," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 29-37.
    5. Raj Chetty & John N. Friedman & Søren Leth-Petersen & Torben Heien Nielsen & Tore Olsen, 2014. "Active vs. Passive Decisions and Crowd-Out in Retirement Savings Accounts: Evidence from Denmark," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(3), pages 1141-1219.
    6. Arvid O. I. Hoffmann & Simon J. McNair, 2019. "How Does Consumers' Financial Vulnerability Relate to Positive and Negative Financial Outcomes? The Mediating Role of Individual Psychological Characteristics," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(4), pages 1630-1673, December.
    7. Nele Peeters & Kathinka Rijk & Barbara Soetens & Bérénice Storms & Koen Hermans, 2018. "A Systematic Literature Review to Identify Successful Elements for Financial Education and Counseling in Groups," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 415-440, July.
    8. Imbens, Guido W & Angrist, Joshua D, 1994. "Identification and Estimation of Local Average Treatment Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 62(2), pages 467-475, March.
    9. Farrell, Lisa & Fry, Tim R.L. & Risse, Leonora, 2016. "The significance of financial self-efficacy in explaining women’s personal finance behaviour," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 85-99.
    10. Henrik Cronqvist & Richard H. Thaler & Frank Yu, 2018. "When Nudges Are Forever: Inertia in the Swedish Premium Pension Plan," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 108, pages 153-158, May.
    11. Skagerlund, Kenny & Lind, Thérèse & Strömbäck, Camilla & Tinghög, Gustav & Västfjäll, Daniel, 2018. "Financial literacy and the role of numeracy–How individuals’ attitude and affinity with numbers influence financial literacy," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 18-25.
    12. Fanny Salignac & Myra Hamilton & Jack Noone & Axelle Marjolin & Kristy Muir, 2020. "Conceptualizing Financial Wellbeing: An Ecological Life-Course Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 1581-1602, June.
    13. Bates, Douglas & Mächler, Martin & Bolker, Ben & Walker, Steve, 2015. "Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 67(i01).
    14. Richard G Netemeyer & Dee Warmath & Daniel Fernandes & John G LynchJr. & Eileen FischerEditor & Olivier ToubiaAssociate Editor, 2018. "How Am I Doing? Perceived Financial Well-Being, Its Potential Antecedents, and Its Relation to Overall Well-Being," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 45(1), pages 68-89.
    15. Loibl, Cäzilia & Jones, Lauren & Haisley, Emily, 2018. "Testing strategies to increase saving in individual development account programs," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 45-63.
    16. Arvid O. I. Hoffmann & Leonora Risse, 2020. "Do good things come in pairs? How personality traits help explain individuals' simultaneous pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and financially responsible behavior," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 1082-1120, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hoffmann, Arvid O.I. & Plotkina, Daria, 2020. "Why and when does financial information affect retirement planning intentions and which consumers are more likely to act on them?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 411-431.
    2. Arvid O. I. Hoffmann & Daria Plotkina, 2021. "Let your past define your future? How recalling successful financial experiences can increase beliefs of self‐efficacy in financial planning," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 847-871, September.
    3. Olckers, Matthew, 2021. "On track for retirement?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 76-88.
    4. Mason, Richard, 2019. "Digital enrollment architecture and retirement savings decisions: Evidence from the field," Other publications TiSEM 58639618-e34e-4b5c-8c8c-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. García, Jesús María & Vila, José, 2020. "Financial literacy is not enough: The role of nudging toward adequate long-term saving behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 472-477.
    6. Julia Bayuk & Hyunjung Crystal Lee & Jooyoung Park & Serkan Saka & Debabrata Talukdar & Jayati Sinha, 2022. "Mindfully aware and open: Mitigating subjective and objective financial vulnerability via mindfulness practices," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 1284-1311, September.
    7. Gerrans, Paul, 2021. "Undergraduate student financial education interventions: Medium term evidence of retention, decay, and confidence in financial literacy," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    8. Erev, Ido & Hiller, Maximilian & Klößner, Stefan & Lifshitz, Gal & Mertins, Vanessa & Roth, Yefim, 2022. "Promoting healthy behavior through repeated deposit contracts: An intervention study," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    9. Dean Karlan & Aishwarya Lakshmi Ratan & Jonathan Zinman, 2014. "Savings by and for the Poor: A Research Review and Agenda," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 60(1), pages 36-78, March.
    10. Timmons, Shane & Robertson, Deirdre & Lunn, Pete, 2022. "Combining nudges and boosts to increase precautionary saving: A large-scale field experiment," Papers WP722, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    11. Johannes Hagen & Daniel Hallberg & Gabriella Sjögren, 2022. "A Nudge to Quit? The Effect of a Change in Pension Information on Annuitisation, Labour Supply and Retirement Choices Among Older Workers," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(643), pages 1060-1094.
    12. Gagandeep Kaur & Manjit Singh, 2024. "Pathways to Individual Financial Well-Being: Conceptual Framework and Future Research Agenda," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 13(1), pages 27-41, January.
    13. Remya Tressa Jacob & Rudra Sensarma, 2022. "Does knowledge empower? A story of debt literacy and credit usage in rural consumer finance," Working papers 529, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.
    14. Callis, Zoe & Gerrans, Paul & Walker, Dana L. & Gignac, Gilles E., 2023. "The association between intelligence and financial literacy: A conceptual and meta-analytic review," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    15. Bannier, Christina E. & Schwarz, Milena, 2018. "Gender- and education-related effects of financial literacy and confidence on financial wealth," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 66-86.
    16. Shephard, Daniel D. & Kaneza, Yves V. & Moclair, Paul, 2017. "What curriculum? Which methods? A cluster randomized controlled trial of social and financial education in Rwanda," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 310-320.
    17. Osvaldo García-Mata & Mariana Zerón-Félix, 2022. "A review of the theoretical foundations of financial well-being," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 69(2), pages 145-176, June.
    18. Arvid O. I. Hoffmann & Leonora Risse, 2020. "Do good things come in pairs? How personality traits help explain individuals' simultaneous pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and financially responsible behavior," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 1082-1120, September.
    19. Julie Birkenmaier & Brandy Maynard & Youngmi Kim, 2022. "Interventions designed to improve financial capability: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(1), March.
    20. Leonore Riitsalu & Rene Sulg & Henri Lindal & Marvi Remmik & Kristiina Vain, 2024. "From Security to Freedom— The Meaning of Financial Well-being Changes with Age," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 56-69, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:95:y:2021:i:c:s2214804321001142. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620175 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.