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The Interplay among Savings Accounts and Network-Based Financial Arrangements: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Comola, Margherita

    (Paris School of Economics)

  • Prina, Silvia

    (Northeastern University)

Abstract

This paper studies how formal financial access affects network-based financial arrangements. We use a field experiment that granted access to a savings account to a random subset of households in 19 Nepalese villages. Exploiting a unique panel dataset that follows all bilateral informal financial transactions before and after the intervention, we show that households that were offered access to an account increased their loans and total transfers to others, independent of the treatment status of the receiver. The increase seemed to be driven by treatment households with more assets and greater financial inclusion at baseline.

Suggested Citation

  • Comola, Margherita & Prina, Silvia, 2023. "The Interplay among Savings Accounts and Network-Based Financial Arrangements: Evidence from a Field Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 16303, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16303
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    financial access; savings; networks; financial arrangements;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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