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Financial exclusion in developed countries: a field experiment among migrants and low-income people in Italy

Author

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  • Giorgia Barboni

    (Princeton University)

  • Alessandra Cassar

    (University of San Francisco)

  • Timothee Demont

    (Aix-Marseille Univ., CNRS, EHESS, Centrale Marseille, AMSE)

Abstract

We designed an experiment to estimate the socio-economic and behavioral characteristics associated with financial exclusion in a developed economy and the demand for savings products progressively trading-off flexibility for commitment. Our sample includes people in Italy living below the poverty line, stratified by migration status. Despite a large bank branch penetration in the study area, we find a high rate of financial exclusion, with households below the sample median income being unbanked at twice the rate of those above (30% vs. 15%), a difference that is especially significant for migrants. Financial exclusion is associated with poverty and social exclusion, as measured by unemployment, low food consumption, and little help from personal networks. Despite a high-declared willingness to open new accounts and a strong interest in commitment products following a financial education training seminar, actual uptake in the year to follow remains low, suggesting that demanddriven factors besides knowledge hamper access to formal financial services, namely incomes that are perceived too low to make accounts worthwhile. Yet, migrants, especially if non-Muslim, appear more willing to become financially included than non-migrants, suggesting that there are gains to be made by targeting minorities.

Suggested Citation

  • Giorgia Barboni & Alessandra Cassar & Timothee Demont, 2017. "Financial exclusion in developed countries: a field experiment among migrants and low-income people in Italy," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 1(2), pages 39-49, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:beh:jbepv1:v:1:y:2017:i:2:p:39-49
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    Cited by:

    1. Christian T. Elbaek & Ifeatu Uzodinma & Zilia Ismagilova & Panagiotis Mitkidis, 2022. "Suppetia ex machina: How can AI technologies aid financial decision-making of people with low socioeconomic status?," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 6(S1), pages 49-57, July.
    2. US Thathsarani & Jianguo Wei & GRSRC Samaraweera, 2021. "Financial Inclusion’s Role in Economic Growth and Human Capital in South Asia: An Econometric Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-18, April.
    3. NGONYANI, Danstun, 2022. "Financial Inclusion In Developing Countries. A Review Of The Literature On The Costs And Implications," Studii Financiare (Financial Studies), Centre of Financial and Monetary Research "Victor Slavescu", vol. 26(1), pages 54-77, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    financial exclusion; savings; migrants; field experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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