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Saving for Multiple Financial Needs: Evidence from Lockboxes and Mobile Money in Malawi

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  • Shilpa Aggarwal
  • Valentina Brailovskaya
  • Jonathan Robinson

Abstract

We test whether the provision of multiple labeled savings accounts affects savings and downstream outcomes in an experiment with 761 microentrepreneurs in urban Malawi. Treatment respondents received one or multiple savings accounts, in the form of lockboxes or mobile money. We find that while providing additional boxes increased savings by 40%, technical issues marred the efficacy of a second mobile money account. Both types of accounts had impacts on downstream outcomes, including farming decisions and credit extended to customers. We do not detect differential downstream effects by the number of accounts.

Suggested Citation

  • Shilpa Aggarwal & Valentina Brailovskaya & Jonathan Robinson, 2020. "Saving for Multiple Financial Needs: Evidence from Lockboxes and Mobile Money in Malawi," NBER Working Papers 27035, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:27035
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    Cited by:

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    2. Karlan, Dean & Horn, Samantha & Jamison, Julian C. & Zinman, Jonathan, 2020. "Does lasting behavior change require knowledge change? Evidence from savings interventions for young adults," CEPR Discussion Papers 15392, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Tara Bedi & Anu Jose & Michael King, 2023. "Mental Accounting, Spousal Control and Intra-Household Communication: Evidence from an Experiment in India," Trinity Economics Papers TEP1323, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    4. Ghosh, Saibal, 2021. "How important is trust in driving financial inclusion?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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