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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.

Insurance, Credit and Technology Adoption in Malawi

Xavier Giné
In Malawi, researchers examined the effect of bundling rainfall index insurance with a credit program on farmers’ demand for credit. They found that bundling insurance with credit reduced the demand for credit, from 33 percent for credit alone to 17.6 percent for the bundled product.

Information Campaigns to Increase Mobile Banking Adoption in Ghana

In Ghana, researchers worked with a bank that provides services to low-income customers with limited access to mainstream banking to evaluate the impact of sending pre-recorded informational voice calls and text messages on the adoption of mobile banking. Clients that received messages encouraging...

Urban Property Rights in Mongolia

Researchers are evaluating the effect of an ownership assistance program on residents’ income, assets, and general financial behavior.

The Impact of Unconditional Cash Transfers on Consumption and Household Balance Sheets in the United States

David E. Broockman
Patrick Krause
Elizabeth Rhodes
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation testing the impact of monthly cash transfers of $1,000 to low-income individuals in Texas and Illinois on household expenditures, debts and assets, and financial health. The study found that receiving the cash transfer increased spending by $310 per...

The Impact of Entrepreneurship Training for Women in Uganda

In Uganda, researchers evaluated the effect of standardized business skills training on business performance as compared to more personalized mentoring services.

Network Effects between Small & Medium Enterprises in Uganda

Francisco Campos
Markus Goldstein
Obert Pimhidzai
Mattea Stein
Bilal Zia
Many governments and organizations use finance and management training as a tool to promote small and medium enterprise growth in developing countries, but it is not clear whether or how information from these trainings is shared across SMEs operating in the same area.

Incentivizing Safe Sex in Rural Tanzania

Ramadhani Abdul
Faraji Abilahi
William Dow
Erick Gong
Zachary Isdahl
Boniphace Jullu
Suneeta Krishnan
Albert Majura
Carol A. Medlin
Jeanne Moncada
Sally Mtenga
Mathew Alexander Mwanyangala
Rose Nathan
Laura Packel
Julius Schachter
Kizito Shirima
Damien de Walque
In Tanzania, researchers examined whether making cash payments conditional on testing negative for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can improve safe sex practices among young adults. They found that offering cash incentives of US$20 significantly reduced STI rates after one year, although...

Moving Beyond Conditional Cash Transfers in the Dominican Republic

Xavier Giné
In the Dominican Republic, researchers are investigating whether financial education and business training can help recipients of CCTs to manage their own finances and ultimately graduate from the program.