This paper presents and interprets descriptive statistics generated from data obtained in a survey of clients of five microfinance organizations believed to be among the best in Bolivia. These lenders represent different combinations of organizational design, lending technology, and market area...

The purpose of this paper is to examine the financial operations of the state guaranty associations in the property/casualty field to assess their adequacy to meet future insolvencies. The extraordinary insurer insolvencies in the last half of the 1 980s receive special attention. Proposals for...

This paper describes a statistical sample design to measure portfolio- at-risk in microfinance. It applies the design to the microfinance portfolio of Banco do Nordeste in Brazil. Statistical audit sampling requires no special knowledge of statistics and is useful for due- diligence inspections...

How do people respond to matched-savings incentives? Studies of 401(k) plans find that matching increases participation but that higher match rates do not increase--and may decrease--the level of savings. This paper analyzes saving by low-income people in Individual Development Accounts (IDAs),...

To escape from poverty requires assets, be they human, physical, social, or financial. Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are designed to help the poor to build assets. Withdrawals from IDAs are matched if used for home purchase, post-secondary education, or self- employment. Participants...

Development depends on saving. But what exactly is saving, and how is it measured? This paper defines saving and describes several measures of financial savings. The measures account for the passage of time and for the three stages of saving: putting in (depositing), keeping in (maintaining a...

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are special savings accounts designed to help people build assets to reach life goals and to achieve long-term security. Account-holders receive matching funds as they save for purposes such as buying a first home, attending job training, going to college,...