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Commitment savings in informal banking markets

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  • Basu, Karna

Abstract

I study the provision of commitment savings by informal banks to sophisticated hyperbolic discounters. Since a consumer is subject to temptation in the period that he signs a contract, banks might exploit his desire for instant gratification even as they help him to commit for the future. Without banking, savings decisions and welfare are not monotonic in the degree of time-inconsistency. Consequently, commitment savings will lower welfare for moderately time-inconsistent agents. If loan contracts are enforceable, pure commitment savings will disappear. This will further lower welfare if the lender is a profit-maximizing bank, but raise welfare if the lender is a welfare-maximizing NGO. Finally, I consider the coexistence of a bank and NGO. There will be zero takeup of NGO-provided commitment savings if there is competition from a moneylender. But the NGO's offer will raise the agent's reservation utility, thus reducing the surplus that can be extracted by the moneylender.

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  • Basu, Karna, 2014. "Commitment savings in informal banking markets," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 97-111.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:107:y:2014:i:c:p:97-111
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2013.11.006
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    3. Dobdinga Cletus Fonchamnyo & Tony Anyangwe & Ndichia Nana Chantal & Gildas Dohba Dinga, 2023. "Capital structure and financial sustainability: stakes of microfinance institutions in Bamenda, Cameroon," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, December.
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    5. Tabitha Nindi & Jacob Ricker‐Gilbert & Jonathan Bauchet, 2024. "Incentive mechanisms to exploit intraseasonal price arbitrage opportunities for smallholder farmers: Experimental evidence from Malawi," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(1), pages 330-353, January.
    6. Carolina Laureti & Ariane Szafarz, 2012. "The Time-Inconsistency Factor: How Banks Adapt to their Mix of Savers," Working Papers CEB 12-035, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    7. Eva Kløve & Halvor Mehlum, 2019. "Positive illusions and the temptation to borrow," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 71(3), pages 623-644.
    8. Karna Basu, 2011. "Hyperbolic Discounting and the Sustainability of Rotational Savings Arrangements," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(4), pages 143-171, November.
    9. 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.
    10. Carolina Laureti & Ariane Szafarz, 2014. "Having it Both Ways: A Theory of the Banking Firm with Time-Consistent and Time-Inconsistent Depositors," Working Papers CEB 14-011, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    11. Kaushik Basu, 2018. "Markets and Manipulation: Time for a Paradigm Shift?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 56(1), pages 185-205, March.
    12. Emma Boswell Dean & Frank Schilbach & Heather Schofield, 2017. "Poverty and Cognitive Function," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Poverty Traps, pages 57-118, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Kaniska Dam & Prabal Roy Chowdhuri, 2015. "Incentives and Competition in Microfinance," Working Papers DTE 579, CIDE, División de Economía.
    14. 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 055, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE.
    15. Anett John, 2020. "When Commitment Fails: Evidence from a Field Experiment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(2), pages 503-529, February.
    16. Hisaki KONO & Kazushi TAKAHASHI, 2010. "Microfinance Revolution: Its Effects, Innovations, And Challenges," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 48(1), pages 15-73, March.
    17. Macchiavello, Rocco & Casaburi, Lorenzo, 2015. "Firm and Market Response to Saving Constraints: Evidence from the Kenyan Dairy Industry," CEPR Discussion Papers 10952, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Basu, Karna & Wong, Maisy, 2015. "Evaluating seasonal food storage and credit programs in east Indonesia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 200-216.
    19. Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo, 2010. "Giving Credit Where It Is Due," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 24(3), pages 61-80, Summer.
    20. 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.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hyperbolic discounting; Commitment savings; Informal banking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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