Taking Stock of the Evidence on Micro-Financial Interventions

35 Pages Posted: 26 Sep 2016 Last revised: 16 Jun 2023

See all articles by Francisco J. Buera

Francisco J. Buera

Washington University in St. Louis; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Joseph P. Kaboski

Ohio State University (OSU) - Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); University of Notre Dame - Department of Economics

Yongseok Shin

Washington University in St. Louis; Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: September 2016

Abstract

We review the empirical evidence on microfinance and asset grants to the ultra poor or microentrepreneurs, and assess our ability to account for this evidence using quantitative theory. Properly executed, these interventions can help segments of the population increase their income and consumption, but neither the empirical micro nor quantitative macro literatures give much reason to believe that such interventions can lead to wide-scale, transformative impacts akin to escaping aggregate poverty traps.

Suggested Citation

Buera, Francisco J. and Kaboski, Joseph P. and Shin, Yongseok, Taking Stock of the Evidence on Micro-Financial Interventions (September 2016). NBER Working Paper No. w22674, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2843387

Francisco J. Buera (Contact Author)

Washington University in St. Louis ( email )

One Brookings Drive
Campus Box 1208
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Joseph P. Kaboski

Ohio State University (OSU) - Economics ( email )

410 Arps Hall
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Columbus, OH 43210-1172
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

University of Notre Dame - Department of Economics ( email )

Notre Dame, IN 46556
United States

Yongseok Shin

Washington University in St. Louis ( email )

One Brookings Drive
Campus Box 1208
Saint Louis, MO 63130-4899
United States

Federal Reserve Banks - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

411 Locust St
Saint Louis, MO 63011
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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