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dc.titleThe Promises of Digital Bank Accounts for Low-income Individuals
dc.contributor.authorHernández Romero, Karla
dc.contributor.authorVera-Cossio, Diego A.
dc.contributor.authorHoffmann, Bridget
dc.contributor.authorPecha, Camilo
dc.contributor.orgunitDepartment of Research and Chief Economist
dc.coverageColombia
dc.date.available2024-01-26T00:01:00
dc.date.issue2024-01-26T00:01:00
dc.description.abstractThe push for adopting digital modes of payment rests on three promises: increased efficiency of transactions, increased financial inclusion, and improvements in the financial well-being of low-income individuals. We experimentally test the extent to which these promises are fulfilled. We exploit the random assignment into an intervention to encourage direct deposits of recurrent government benefits into digital bank accounts in Colombia. Switching from cash to direct deposits reduces disbursement errors and increases access to benefits among eligible beneficiaries. It also increases the ownership of bank accounts, the demand for formal loans, and loan take-up among individuals without a financial history. However, we do not find evidence of improvements in financial well-being across any of our metrics.
dc.format.extent77
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0005521
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/The-Promises-of-Digital-Bank-Accounts-for-Low-income-Individuals.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectIncome Distribution
dc.subjectBusiness Innovation
dc.subjectDigital Technology
dc.subjectFinancial Service
dc.subjectBank Loan
dc.subjectFinancial Integration
dc.subjectSaving
dc.subjectSaving Account
dc.subjectAdministrative Register
dc.subjectPopulation Aging
dc.subjectEducation
dc.subject.jelcodeD90 - Intertemporal Choice: General
dc.subject.jelcodeH53 - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
dc.subject.jelcodeI38 - Government Policy • Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
dc.subject.keywordsTechnology adoption;Social protection;Formal financial products
dc.typeWorking Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberIDB-WP-01568
idb.operationRG-E1883
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