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New Ways to Make People Save: A Social Marketing Approach

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  • Annamaria Lusardi
  • Punam Anand Keller
  • Adam M. Keller

Abstract

In this study, we use a social marketing approach to develop a planning aid to help new employees at a not-for-profit institution contribute to supplementary pensions. We employed different methods, such as surveys, focus groups and in-depth interviews, to "listen" to employees' needs and difficulties with saving. Moreover, we targeted specific groups that were less likely to save and contribute to supplementary pensions, such as women and low-income employees. The program we developed is not only effective but also inexpensive. While this program was implemented at a single institution, it is suitable to be applied to a variety of employers and demographic groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Annamaria Lusardi & Punam Anand Keller & Adam M. Keller, 2009. "New Ways to Make People Save: A Social Marketing Approach," NBER Working Papers 14715, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14715
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    Cited by:

    1. Gopi Shah Goda & Colleen Flaherty Manchester & Aaron Sojourner, 2012. "What Will My Account Really Be Worth? An Experiment on Exponential Growth Bias and Retirement Saving," NBER Working Papers 17927, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Margaret Miller & Julia Reichelstein & Christian Salas & Bilal Zia, 2015. "Can You Help Someone Become Financially Capable? A Meta-Analysis of the Literature," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 30(2), pages 220-246.
    3. Annamaria Lusardi & Olivia S. Mitchell & Vilsa Curto, 2009. "Financial Literacy among the Young: Evidence and Implications for Consumer Policy," CeRP Working Papers 91, Center for Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies, Turin (Italy).
    4. Stefan Klößner & Gregor Pfeifer, 2019. "The Importance of Tax Adjustments When Evaluating Wage Expectations," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(2), pages 578-605, April.
    5. Annamaria Lusardi, 2008. "Financial Literacy: An Essential Tool for Informed Consumer Choice?," NFI Working Papers 2008-WP-13, Indiana State University, Scott College of Business, Networks Financial Institute.
    6. Andor, Mark A. & Fels, Katja M. & Renz, Jan & Rzepka, Sylvi, 2018. "Do planning prompts increase educational success? Evidence from randomized controlled trials in MOOCs," Ruhr Economic Papers 790, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    7. Croy, Gerry & Gerrans, Paul & Speelman, Craig, 2010. "The role and relevance of domain knowledge, perceptions of planning importance, and risk tolerance in predicting savings intentions," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 860-871, December.
    8. Brigitte C. Madrian, 2014. "Applying Insights from Behavioral Economics to Policy Design," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 663-688, August.
    9. Maya Haran Rosen & Orly Sade, 2017. "Does Financial Regulation Unintentionally Ignore Less Privileged Populations? The Investigation of a Regulatory Fintech Advancement, Objective and Subjective Financial Literacy," Bank of Israel Working Papers 2017.10, Bank of Israel.
    10. Nikolaos Satsios & Spyros Hadjidakis, 2018. "Applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) in Saving Behaviour of Pomak Households," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 9(2), pages 122-133, April.
    11. Annamaria Lusardi, 2008. "Household Saving Behavior: The Role of Financial Literacy, Information, and Financial Education Programs," NBER Working Papers 13824, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Rebecca Ratner & Dilip Soman & Gal Zauberman & Dan Ariely & Ziv Carmon & Punam Keller & B. Kim & Fern Lin & Selin Malkoc & Deborah Small & Klaus Wertenbroch, 2008. "How behavioral decision research can enhance consumer welfare: From freedom of choice to paternalistic intervention," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 383-397, December.
    13. Goda, Gopi Shah & Manchester, Colleen Flaherty & Sojourner, Aaron J., 2014. "What will my account really be worth? Experimental evidence on how retirement income projections affect saving," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 80-92.
    14. Elsa Fornero & Annamaria Lusardi & Chiara Monticone, 2009. "Adequacy of Saving for Old Age in Europe," CeRP Working Papers 87, Center for Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies, Turin (Italy).
    15. Samia Amin & Greg Chojnacki & Aravind Moorthy & Irma Perez-Johnson & Matt Darling & Jaclyn Lefkowitz, "undated". "Using Behavioral Insights to Increase Retirement Savings (Report)," Mathematica Policy Research Reports a8c7659af90e498bb181f2349, Mathematica Policy Research.
    16. Callan, Tim & Keane, Claire & Walsh, John R., 2009. "Pension Policy: New Evidence on Key Issues," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS14.
    17. Luisa R. Blanco & O. Kenrik Duru & Carol M. Mangione, 2020. "A Community-Based Randomized Controlled Trial of an Educational Intervention to Promote Retirement Saving Among Hispanics," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 300-315, June.
    18. Steinert, Janina Isabel & Cluver, Lucie Dale & Meinck, Franziska & Doubt, Jenny & Vollmer, Sebastian, 2018. "Household economic strengthening through financial and psychosocial programming: Evidence from a field experiment in South Africa," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 443-466.
    19. J. Magendans & J.M. Gutteling & S. Zebel, 2017. "Psychological determinants of financial buffer saving: the influence of financial risk tolerance and regulatory focus," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(8), pages 1076-1093, August.
    20. Zeynep Copur & Michael S. Gutter, 2019. "Economic, Sociological, and Psychological Factors of the Saving Behavior: Turkey Case," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 305-322, June.

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    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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