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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Impact of Information on the Returns to Education on the Demand for Schooling in the Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, researchers investigated families’ perceptions of the returns to education and whether providing information on the actual returns to education would change their schooling decisions. They found that students significantly underestimated the returns to secondary education...

The Impact of a WhatsApp-based Intervention on Financial Resiliency and Intimate Partner Violence in Colombia

Matthew Bird
Lina Cardona-Sosa
Pablo Lavado
Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of an interactive WhatsApp-based couples communication, financial education, and COVID-19 information program in promoting low-income households' financial resiliency and reducing IPV rates in Colombia. Research is ongoing; results forthcoming.

Using Alarm Boxes to Combine Commitment and Reminders for Savings in Bolivia

In Bolivia, researchers investigated whether alarm boxes, designed to both remind people to save and to keep their savings safe, could have an effect on savings rates among microfinance clients.

Savings Accounts to Smooth Consumption for Low-Income Microentrepreneurs in Chile

Felipe Kast
Researchers examined the effects of free savings account access on savings account use, indebtedness, consumption, and well-being. Easy access to savings accounts reduced participants’ reliance on borrowing, helped them manage fluctuations in income, and increased their self-reported well-being.

Incentivizing Savings through Default Deposits and SMS Reminders

Claudia Martinez
Esteban Puentes
Researchers are evaluating the impact of default deposits, SMS reminders to save, and short financial training for bank clients in low-income urban areas in Chile on saving and spending decisions.