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Over-Indebtedness in Microfinance – An Empirical Analysis of Related Factors on the Borrower Level

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  • Jessica Schicks

Abstract

This paper analyses the over-indebtedness of microborrowers in Ghana. It defines over-indebtedness from a customer protection perspective and considers borrowers over-indebted if they continuously struggle with repayment and experience unacceptable sacrifices related to their debt. It finds that poorer microborrowers are more likely to be over-indebted. The risk of over-indebtedness further increases with the occurrence of adverse economic shocks to a borrower’s income or expenses. The likelihood of over-indebtedness is higher for borrowers with low returns on their investment and if borrowers use loans, at least in part, for non-productive purposes. It is higher for borrowers with a low, debt-specific financial literacy. General financial literacy has negative effects on over-indebtedness. We find no effect for mere numeracy. The paper also breaks down the relationship of the above factors to the specific sacrifices that borrowers make, to how frequently they repeat them and to how acceptable sacrifices are to borrowers.

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Paper provided by ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles in its series Working Papers CEB with number 12-017.

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Length: 43 p.
Date of creation: May 2012
Publication status: Published by:
Handle: RePEc:sol:wpaper:2013/116700
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Keywords: Microfinance; Microcredit; Over-Indebtedness; Debt; Customer Protection; Sacrifices;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
  • O50 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - General
  • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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Cited by:

  1. Agarwalla, Sobhesh Kumar & Barua, Samir K. & Jacob, Joshy & Varma, Jayanth R., 2015. "Financial Literacy among Working Young in Urban India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 101-109.
  2. Kajenthiran. K & Achchuthan. S & Ajanthan. A, 2017. "A Quest for Seeking Microcredit among Youth: Evidence from an Emerging Nation in South Asian Region," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 7(2), pages 1-8.
  3. Antonia Grohmann & Theres Klühs & Lukas Menkhoff, 2017. "Does Financial Literacy Improve Financial Inclusion? Cross Country Evidence," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1682, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
  4. B. Mak Arvin & Byron Lew (ed.), 2015. "Handbook on the Economics of Foreign Aid," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15762.
  5. Islam, Asadul & Nguyen, Chau & Smyth, Russell, 2015. "Does microfinance change informal lending in village economies? Evidence from Bangladesh," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 141-156.
  6. Fenton, Adrian & Paavola, Jouni & Tallontire, Anne, 2017. "The Role of Microfinance in Household Livelihood Adaptation in Satkhira District, Southwest Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 192-202.
  7. Aggarwal, Raj & Goodell, John W. & Selleck, Lauren J., 2015. "Lending to women in microfinance: Role of social trust," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 55-65.
  8. Shen, Chung-Hua & Lin, Shih-Jie & Tang, De-Piao & Hsiao, Yu-Jen, 2016. "The relationship between financial disputes and financial literacy," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 46-65.
  9. Angioloni, Simone & Kudabaev, Zarylbek & Ames, Glenn & Wetzstein, Michael, 2015. "Household Allocation of Microfinance Loans in Kyrgyzstan," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 210949, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
  10. Chichaibelu, Bezawit & Waibel, Hermann, 2015. "The Interrelated Dynamics of Multiple Borrowing and Over-indebtedness among Rural Households in Thailand and Vietnam," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211463, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

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