Working Paper: NBER ID: w28011
Authors: Samantha Horn; Julian Jamison; Dean Karlan; Jonathan Zinman
Abstract: We experimentally evaluate group-based financial education, savings account access, or both for members of Ugandan youth groups. We measure both short- and long-run impacts with one- and five- year endline household surveys. Education, but not account access, increases measured financial knowledge and trust at one-year. At five-years, knowledge effects essentially disappear, and trust effects weaken. However, savings and income increase for each treatment at both endlines, which is noteworthy given the interventions’ low cost and the long time horizon of our second endline. Exploring potential mechanisms, we find evidence consistent with multiple pathways to behavior change and outcome improvement.
Keywords: financial education; savings promotion; Ugandan youth; randomized controlled trial
JEL Codes: D12; D91; O12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Savings (D14) | Financial Knowledge (G53) |
| Savings (D14) | Trust in Banks (G21) |
| Financial Education (G53) | Financial Knowledge (G53) |
| Financial Education (G53) | Trust in Banks (G21) |
| Financial Education (G53) | Savings (D14) |
| Financial Education (G53) | Income (D31) |
| Account Access (M41) | Savings (D14) |
| Account Access (M41) | Income (D31) |
| Both Interventions (C90) | Savings (D14) |
| Both Interventions (C90) | Income (D31) |